


Petrichor

by notaliteraltoadarchive (notaliteraltoad)



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-06-29 16:22:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15733083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notaliteraltoad/pseuds/notaliteraltoadarchive
Summary: 'The woman strode into the bar with a halo of fiery red hair and a beaming smile so white and perfect, Gob could only stare. She turned to him, and for the first time in his life locked eyes with someone who ddidn't flinch back or twist their lips in disgust.When she reached the bar and slapped down a handful of caps, his entire vision was filled with those beautiful red locks. He blinked as her lips moved, his foggy brain struggling to make sense of her words. Why was such a beautiful woman talking to him? Oh, right. He was a barman.'"Two stimpaks, please. And any information you have about a man in a vault suit. He's my dad."**This is on indefinite hiatus, moved to an archive psued for unfinished work.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically an overhaul of an old fic that I deleted and decided to revisit. It needs work because I tried to mash the best bits of the old fic with the new, and my writing style has changed a lot since I last touched this.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think so far! Comments are appreciated <3

Bodies littered the ground, crimson blood slowly soaking into the cracked earth. It spread from them, slowly seeping forward, to become one enormous pool.

The pistol fell from Edith's hands - and then she joined it, collapsing onto the ground with a choked sob. She didn't  _want_ to look at them, didn't want to see the dead raiders surrounding her or the blood staining her dirty vault suit. She squeezed her eyes shut but it was all she saw; the snarling, twisted faces of men intent on murder melting into wide eyed stares as their lifeless bodies dropped.

She sat there with shaking hands and heaving breaths, head bent so low she was almost doubled over. It wasn't until the first drop of water hit her that her eyes squinted open.

Above her, dark clouds hid the sky from view. A single drop of water touched her face as she tilted her face up, then another - until a steady  _pitter patter_ thrummed against her small body.

A laugh burst from her lips as she reached out a hand. The water was warm, like lukewarm bath water but coming from the  _ _sky.__ What had her father called it? Ah,  _rain._

The drops came heavier, running red as it dripped from her filthy clothing. Gold-red hair hung in her eyes, thick curls stretched out from the weight of the water - but Edith smiled widely, bouncing to her feet. Of everything the world above ground had to offer,  _this_ was the best.

Far above her something cracked; a sound so  _deafening t_ hat Edith flinched, eyes wide as she stared at the sky. Thunder. Nervously she reached for her pistol, shoving it in the tattered holster. She needed to get indoors - but had been surrounded by the same desert wasteland for six weeks without so much as an abandoned building.

Heart sinking, Edith swept her surroundings. Nothing. Except for that towering metal wall a little ways North. Megaton, it was called. Travellers had warned her it was a ruined mess of a settlement - but what choice did she have?

Sighing, Edith blinked rainwater from her eyes and marched forward.

Edith meandered over, leaving the five dead raiders practically on Megaton’s doorstep. The wildlife would enjoy new corpses to feed on, and there was no one for miles to notice except for the town’s residents.

As she neared the town, it became increasingly clear how small and run down it looked. She stepped through the huge metal gate and into a small courtyard.

The inside of Megaton was much like the outside - grey, crumbling and monotonous. The faint smell of smog lingered in the air, like an old factory. All in all, it was a sorry looking town. There was something weird about it, too. 

As Edith wandered deeper into town, the reason for Megaton’s strangeness became clear -a massive chunk of metal jammed into the ground, tail end pointing to the sky.

Was that a _bomb?_

As Edith stared, someone appeared in the corner of her vision. He faced the bomb, not even noticing she was there. Slender arms raised toward the bomb like a person might raise their arms to the sky and praise God.

“Give your bodies to Atom, my friends. Release yourself to his power, feel his Glow and be Divided.”

Most people ignored his chanting. One settler simply gave the man a resigned sigh and changed course to avoid him.

Unperturbed, he kept up his preaching. Edith edged away, arms folded stiffly across her chest. Why he was preaching about an irradiated nuclear bomb, she didn’t know - didn’t want to know. Eyeing him nervously she stepped away, taking mental note to avoid going this way again.

To her left was a rickety set of metal steps leading up to a cluster of buildings. They each looked like identical copies of each other - a mesh of metal scraps all cobbled together.

There was one, though, that was different. An old rusty sign stated “Moriarty’s Saloon”. Well, a saloon was a good place to start looking for supplies. Anywhere had to be better than next to that damn hunk of metal. Edith heaved herself up the steps - earning a few odd looks from passers by. She couldn’t blame them - the rain was stopping, but she was soaked in enough blood she might as well have taken a shower in it.

The door rattled as she swung it open and took a glance around. It was dimly lit, with a bare bulb serving as the only source of light. There were a scattering of old wooden tables and chairs - and right in the corner, a small bar.

She glanced around, taking note of the group of men in the corner. A pretty redhead stood serving them drinks, a sour look on her face. Her eyes flicked up to rest on Edith and her brow creased. “Hey hon, you looking for a drink? A room?”

One of the men - the tallest and toughest looking one - smiled leeringly at the redhead. “No point getting a room if Nova here isn’t in it,” he said, resting a grubby hand on her arm.

She winced, carefully sliding out of his reach. “Jericho, we both know you haven't got the caps to have me tonight, so hands off.” She scowled at him, then shook her head and glided over to Edith. “Anyway, you go ahead and let Gob know what you’re after. I’m Nova, by the way.”

“Edith,” she replied simply, “and thanks.” With that she cast the woman a smile and spun around to the bar.

* * *

The bar was almost empty, the usual buzz dying down as the sky grew darker. Rain poured down in sheets, and beyond the saloon doors, Megaton was nothing more than a hazy blur.

At least Gob was inside, and at least Moriarty was too busy to bother him. That was the only good to come out of today.

The saloon door creaked open, and when Gob glanced up he saw the figure of a slender woman dressed in blue.

The woman strode into the bar with a halo of fiery red hair and a beaming smile so white and perfect, Gob only stared. She turned to him, and for the first time in his life locked eyes with someone who didn't flinch back or twist their lips in disgust.

When she reached the bar and slaped down a handful of caps, his entire vision was filled with those beautiful red locks. He blinked as her lips move, his foggy brain struggling to make sense of her words. Why was such a beautiful woman talking to him? Oh, right. He was a barman.

"Two stimpaks, please. And any information you have about a man in a vault suit. He's my dad."

Gob snapped to attention, hazy eyes nervously raised to meet hers - and oh, there it was, the curled lip and narrowed eyes he was so accustomed to. Of course asking for someone - just  _one person _-__ not to hate him was too much. With a frown of his own, heart sinking deep into his gut, Gob set down the glass and turned to grab the stimpaks from the shelf behind. 

* * *

Edith flipped soaking wet hair from her eyes as she slowly spinned, gaze lazy as she took in her surroundings. From the corner of her eyes she saw Nova, small and dainty, take a man's hand and whisper something softly into his ear. Then her gaze lifted up, swept the bar, and landed on who she could only assume was Gob.

He was _green._ Actually, literally  _green,_ with patches of dried up skin revealing the tender red of raw muscle underneath. And where the hell was his _nose?_

Ghouls. Hadn't someone described the zombie-like people as ghouls? As Edith stared with wide chocolate eyes, she noticed he was staring at her too, milky white eyes glassy and far away - though Edith got the impression he was watching her intently. 

She forced a smile onto her full lips, brushed away that irritating lock of hair again, and strode forward with wide, confident strides. At least she could fake it, right? Her chest thumped as she made her approach, hands beading with sweat - but she managed to fish a little brown bag of caps from her coat pocket and drop a couple onto the bar. "Two stimpaks please.  And any information you have about a man in a vault suit. He's my dad."

The man's eyes met hers for the briefest second - but Edith felt herself flinch back, lip curled slightly as his hand reached out to take the caps. He was so unlike anyone - or  _anything _-__ she had seen before, with his hollow cheekbones and thin skin stretched too tightly across the bones of his face. And those  _eyes..._

With the caps in his hand Gob spun, eyes downcast, and ducked out of view to rummage for her stimpaks. He muttered something too low and quiet for her to hear, but it was impossible not to catch the solemn tone of his voice, the disappointment.

Wincing, Edith heaved herself onto a barstool, leaning over the counter. 

There he was, crouched by a box of medical supplies - which honestly she hadn't expected for a saloon - and the sight made her smile. It was almost cute.

"Hey,  did I do something to make you mad? Sorry if I did - I've just had kind of a rough day." Her short, slender body was too small to see over the bar without boosting herself up on her elbows, but they were beginning to ache from the effort. Lowering herself back onto the rickety old stool, Edith smiled. She could at least be nice after she had been so rude.  _ _Staring__ at him like he was some kind of freak. "Hey, your name's Gob, right? I just spoke to Nova like, a second ago."

He popped back up a moment later - and although his face was twisted into a frown, it was difficult to tell with all of the thick, intersectioning scars and exposed flesh. A little part of his jaw was visible, yellow teeth poking through translucent skin. "Yeah, what's it to you, kid?"

"Oh, uh..." Edith felt a flush rise to her cheeks, along with the sudden urge to sink into the chair and disappear. "Well, my name's Edith. Sorry, you're at work and you probably aren't interested in small talk." She reached out for the stimpaks, her hand lightly brushing his as she plucked them from his loose grasp. 

He jerked away as their hands touched, enough force he actually had to take a step back. He muttered a quiet apology before turning around and busying himself with the radio in the corner.

Edith's lips twisted into a frown as she stared at the side of his head. Fingers curled around the stimpaks but her hand didn't move to slip them into her bag. Studying him, Edith waited for a moment. Then, clearing her throat she leaned over the bench and asked quietly, "so, about my dad?"

Those pale eyes turned to her, not quite making eye contact and for that Edith was grateful. "Guy like that came in a few weeks back, but he didn't stay for long."

"Did he say where he was going?" Edith leaned forward more, her narrow elbows propping her up, feet almost leaving the stool's foot rest as she rose in the air. Smiling eagerly, it took all of her self restraint not to grab his hand. "I need to know everything you do. Please, you're my only link. I didn't even think this place would know  _ _anything.__ "

Gob's eyes narrowed, flickering down to the dirty blue vault suit. He seemed to see it for the first time, expression melting into something softer, more understanding. "Shit kid, you're a vaultie too? How'd you get here in one piece?"

"With a decent gun and a lot of luck." She shrugged, shoulders slumping as she sat back on the bar stool. "I guess I'm a quick learner. Had to kill my fair share of people to make it this far." Tears stung the corner of her eyes and bile rose to the back of her throat, bile she swallowed down with a grimace. "Sorry. Look, can you just tell me everything you know, then I'll be on my way."

Gob's thin hand rose to his head - as if to sweep back long lost hair - but then he dropped it back to his side with a heavy sigh. "I have to keep busy, or else Moriarty will kick my ass. You should talk to him, is anyone." Casting a nervous glance to a an ancient moulding door, Gob ducked his head. "I wish I could be more help. You're a lot nicer than most around here - especially for a vaultie."

Was that a compliment? It  _ _seemed__ like one, but it was pretty backhanded. With a snort of laughter Edith shook her head. "I learned pretty quick that most people out here are... less than friendly. I'm trying not to lose my own spark."  _But seeing how awful it is out here, I don't have much hope,_ she added silently

Gob reached out to grab a dirty glass, other hand reaching for a rag only slightly cleaner. Again Edith was struck by just how  _ _other__ Gob was. His skin, mottled and thin, was a collage of a hundred different shades - the muscle peeking through the tattered skin looked inflamed,  _painful._ Yet if it hurt, he didn't show it.

"It's going to rain like this for another couple of hours, and if those clouds say anything it's going to be radrain soon too. You should stay the night."

Edith cast a quirked brow his way, eyes curious.

"I-I mean, in one of the rooms we rent out. One-hundred-twenty caps." Edith could have sworn he  _blushed,_  but as she squinted at him she realised it was impossible to know with that decayed skin.

With a soft smile, Edith nodded. "Sure, I'd rather not catch rad poisoning."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to turn out looking like me, would you?" Gob's smile was stilted as he lowered his head, any attempt at humour ruined by the way he self consciously turned away from her.

Eyes widening, Edith's heart skipped. "I didn't mean it like that! Sorry, I didn't think. Here," she plucked the cap bag from her pocket again, tipping out a small pile onto the cracked bar top.

He shrugged and didn't say a word. With his head lowered her started counting her caps - but the hunched posture and narrow eyed frown told her he was only pretending to concentrate. Then, "you're short."

 _Dammit._ Edith let out a groan and dropped her head onto the bar. Out of  _ _everything__ to happen today, this was just the cherry on top. She had scoured the wasteland for weeks trying to find somewhere decent to stay - and now there was a radstorm outside and she didn't have a place to stay. This was the  _worst-_

"Don't worry about it. It's only ten caps - just don't tell Moriarty and we'll call it even."

Her head snapped up, a grin curling at the corner of her lips. "Really? Thank you  _so much._ Oh, I could kiss you!" 

His eyes went wide, hand frozen hovering above the cap pile.

"I won't actually, that would be weird." Edith rolled her eyes - but inside she was  _cheering._ Finally, someone above had let her catch a break! "Thank you, really. I uh, think I'll call it a night then. This Moriarty, will he be around tomorrow?"

"Should be," Gob replied, casting another furtive gaze to the battered door nearby. Whoever this Moriarty guy was, he didn't seem much liked. "Just be careful around him, okay? I'd hate for a nice kid like you to get on his bad side." Gob turned to grab a set of rusty keys from the shelf behind, dropping them onto the bar rather than handing them to her. 

It didn't escape Edith's notice, but she didn't comment. Instead she just smiled, grabbed the keys, and slid from the now damp barstool. "Thanks, Gob."

"No problem, Edith."


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was only just peeking through the thin, tattered curtains; a weak yellow beam squeezing through the gap between curtain and ceiling.

Gold-brown eyes blinked open, bleary from sleep, and Edith rolled over on the lumpy mattress with a groan. Another morning waking up in a shitty motel, another day wandering the wasteland only to crash in a different shitty motel later. She heaved herself to her feet, muttering quietly as she pulled on a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. Her armour lay scattered carelessly across the floor and she shrugged on the thick shoulder pads and leg guards effortlessly.

Just as she finished twisting her thick hair into a bun, a dull pain began in the back of her skull. It spread down her neck, settling heavily in the pit of her stomach, too. It was an all too familiar feeling Edith could have done without, but in the wasteland proper food and water was hard to come by. With a huff, Edith headed downstairs.

The bar was already open. It was barely eight o'clock yet there stood Gob - head bowed as he scrubbed at the ancient bar top in the corner of the room.

"Morning," Edith chirped as she wandered over, smile was bright and cheery. For whatever reason, she was glad to see him. It was probably just because it had been so long since she had seen another human. One who wasn't a raider or mass murderer anyway.

He glanced up, pale eyes narrowed. Though he didn't have eyebrows, it looked like he was frowning. "Hi kid." His reply was short and simple; his gaze only lingered for a moment before he dropped his eyes back to the bar top.

“You can stop calling me kid you know,” she replied with a smile, “you know my name’s Edith.”

“Edith,” he replied with a shy nod.

"That’s me. Hey, thanks for giving me the room last night. I know I was only a few caps short but I can help out around the place to make up for it?" She slid onto the nearest stool. It was old, cracked and quite frankly felt like sitting on a jagged piece of wood. Edith ignored the wood digging into her backside, leaning her elbows on the table and letting her lidded eyes rest on Gob.

Up close, he was kind of cute. If she ignored the peeling skin and red raw muscle peeking through the gaps. And the caved in hole where his nose should have been. Actually, that kind of added to his charm. It made his face look rounder somehow, made his nervous little smile look wider.

Snorting softly, Edith shook her head. She had to stop silently admiring people like that. It was going to scare people off.

Gob’s bloodshot eyes flicked up and he physically took a step back, as if her little laugh had somehow hurt him. He stood stock still for a moment, eyeing her warily.

Did he think she was laughing at  _him?_

“Sorry,” she said with a reassuring smile, hoping to ease his nerves, “just daydreaming. So, about me helping out around here. I imagine it can get pretty busy in here, and I only owe you a few caps so you won’t be stuck with me forever.” She flashed another grin, full lips  
curling upward.

His wary expression lingered, and he didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Look, it’s nice of you kid, but it’s no big deal. Just a few caps, right? Not worth getting you to scrub floors over.” He ducked his head and turned around so quickly Edithswore she almost felt a breeze.

“Aw c’mon, I’ll only end up feeling guilty. I’m in your debt. Especially if Moriarty is going to tell me about Dad. I know it's a small debt, sure, but it’s still-” 

“ _Kid,_ forget about it.” His pale blue eyes narrowed, worn lips curling into a scowl. He looked uneasy, arms folded across his chest as if he wanted to shrink in on himself.

Startled into silence, Edith clamped her lips shut. Somehow she had hit a nerve - not literally, though some of his real nerves probably were exposed to the air. She hadn’t figured him even capable of raising his voice, that was the thing. He had come across as so quiet and shy - more than that, actually. Nervous. Scared. There was a difference between not being a people person and being scared of someone just talking to you. 

When no one spoke, Gob winced. “Sorry,” he muttered a second later, head lowered, “don’t hit me.”

Edith opened her mouth to reply, but all that came out was a soft huff. “I’m going going to hit you. God, what a thing to think.” Poor guy really did have something going on. Sure, the wasteland wasn’t exactly kind - but she hadn’t given a single indication she wanted to hurt him.

Then again, what did she know about the Capital Wasteland, really?

Face softening, Edith sighed. “I’m not going to hit you, don’t worry. It didn’t even enter my mind." Her lips pulled up in a smile. Her face was dirty, lips smudged red with old makeup she had in her pockets when she fled the vault. Still, she hoped it was at least a little reassuring.

“I know; you don’t seem like the type for stupid violence. You smoothskins just don’t usually take so kindly to us ghouls. Especially vaulties…” He trailed off and tilted his head up but still didn’t meet her eyes. “You uh, want breakfast?”

Changing the subject, eh? Fair enough - it seemed like a sore subject, and she couldn’t blame him for it. She knew from the way people spoke that ghouls were treated terribly. It was  _stupid_  - they were still people, not zombies or corpses or any of the other awful things  
humans said about them. Apparently she was one of very few to think so.

Dark brown eyes drifted up to Gob as she replied, “Thanks, but I'm all right. Not enough caps, remember?"

Edith wasn't sure, but when Gob's ruined lips quirked downward it looked as if he was frowning. "You can pay me back once you find yourself a job or two."

A smile spread across Edith's face, eyes sparkling. "Really?  _Thank you,_ that's so sweet! Everyone I've met so far has been just terrible - it's nice to know there's sweethearts like you around."

Gob rubbed the back of his neck, gaze lowered shyly. "It's just breakfast. A thanks for being so nice to me; not like the rest of these folks. Just uh, don't let Moriarty know, okay?"

"I won't tell anyone, or else they'll all expect a discount, right?" Full lips quirked up in another smile.

"That's not the problem, kid."

She opened her mouth to reply - her name was  _Edith,_ not kid - but she stopped short when she caught the way Gob ducked his head, as if afraid to even say Moriarty's name. Uneasiness settled deep in her gut, something that became more frequent the longer she spent in the Capital Wasteland. There was more to Moriarty than just being his boss. "Hey, it's fine. If it's such a big deal, I won't say a word. Promise."

She reached out a pale hand to brush against Gob's shoulder - but he flinched from her light touch with wide, nervous eyes. He didn't say a word but he didn't  _need_ to - the way he skittered from her said more than words ever could.

Edith stared at her hand, pale and small and very much  _not_ a wastelander's hand - before dropping it onto the bar top. "Sorry." The word left her mouth without thought, though it registered in her mind that  _sorry_ probably wasn't something commonly said out here. "Are you all right?"

Gob stared at her with pale, bloodshot eyes that  _should_  have been frightening, but Edith was quickly learning showed far more emotion than anyone else she'd met. "You're asking me if I'm  _all right?"_

"Well yeah. I gave you a fright, it's only right I make sure there's nothing wrong." Lips formed a frown, thin - and until recently, perfectly plucked - eyebrows furrowing. "Sorry."

He studied her for a moment, still half way across the bar. Eventually he just shook his head and a tiny, humourless laugh left his scarred lips. "Most people around here don't care  _what's_ wrong with a ghoul, as long as they know it won't affect  _them._ You're one of a kind, kid. Must be that vault upbringing."

Whatever was wrong, Edith felt sympathy welling in her chest; the  _overwhelming_ desire to offer help, even just an ear to let him talk about his problems. There was clearly so much going on with him - and she barely knew him, had spoken to him only twice but it was  _clear_ that he deserved so much better than he got.

His soft voice snapped her from her thoughts, though the words were lost. "Huh?" 

He almost seemed to  _smile_ when he looked at her, though his eyes wouldn't meet hers. "I asked how long you've been out the vault. Going by that jumpsuit, can't be long." He busied himself with the shelves behind, reaching up to grab a box of Sugar Bombs.

A frown tugged at Edith's lips as she slouched into her stool. "Couple of months. Honestly, I've lost track. I've been trying to find my dad - he uh... had to leave. Which is why I'm hoping someone knows if he was here."

"Like I said if anyone will know, it'll be Moriarty. Just be careful when you talk to him." For a moment Gob paused, Sugar Bombs still in hand, and he seemed to hunch in on himself, shoulders curving inward.

This Moriarty seemed like a real piece of work. The way Gob acted; it made Butch seem like best friend material. Edith shuddered.

Then there was a cracked white bowl filling up her vision, filled to the brim with a familiar sugary cereal and cold milk - though when Edith thought of the two headed creatures called brahmin, her lips curled. Still, she picked up the spoon and dug in with a nod of thanks. The first mouthful was  _heaven;_ how long had it been since she'd eaten decent food?

"Don't eat so fast," Gob warned, though there was the hint of amusement in his voice, "I'm not cleaning up your puke."

Edith paused with the spoon half way to her mouth, the first mouthful not even swallowed yet. A flush bloomed across her cheeks as she sat up, swallowed, and dropped her eyes down to the bowl. "Yeah, sorry. It's just been a  _really_ long time since I've eaten something and actually enjoyed the taste."

"Don't worry about it, I- aw  _shit._ "

The question of  _what_ was right on the tip of her lips - but a moment later it was answered as a tall, burly man barged through the door leading from an unseen room. He was an older man, but the scowl on his face made it  _clear_ he wasn't to be messed with - so did the way he slammed his hand on the bar.

He was out of the man's reach, but even so Gob flinched back, drawing in on himself as if he wanted nothing more than to disappear. It was like a switch had been flipped; gone was the nervous but kind man that had taken her banter and given back his own, replaced by someone who somehow looked tiny and frail despite his size.

"Where's Nova?" The man demanded. He sounded Irish, and Edith only knew that from her school back at the vault.

"I don't know, sir," Gob replied, his voice so small it was barely audible, "she was with a customer, he paid extra for her to stay all night."

"That prick better have paid  _a lot._ You both know I won't stand anyone being late for work." His eyes narrowed, hands clenched by his side and he didn't  _do_ anything - didn't need to - but his towering height and cold grey eyes were enough.

Edith's heart skipped in her chest, the urge to bail creeping up on her. This guy had a  _presence -_ something dark and cruel lurking under the surface and she  _knew_ she didn't want to witness it firsthand. Instead she just sucked in a breath, lips clamped shut because  _hell,_ if she said a word it wasn't going to end well for her. She knew it.

"If Nova ain't down in ten minutes, with or without whatever jackass she slept with, it's coming down on both of you." He leaned forward, face just  _inches_ from Gob and for one tense moment Edith was  _sure_ he was going to hit the poor guy - but then he spun on his heel and stormed through the back door, boots stomping against the rusty metal floor.

"Jeez," Edith muttered. Slender arms folded across her chest - which was still hammering so fiercely it was making her feel  _sick._  "That must be Moriarty, right? He's terrible." She shivered despite the almost unbearable wasteland heat.

"You don't know the half of it," Gob muttered. Then, "I have to open up, or Moriarty's really going to lose it. You better talk to him next time he appears - his mood is only going to get worse as the day goes on." He cast a furtive glance at the mysterious door, which was shut tightly as if Moriarty had never even appeared.

Edith's dark eyes dropped to her bowl of half eaten Sugar Bombs - but as she picked up her spoon, her stomach groaned in protest. Yeah, her appetite was well and truly  _shot._ Pushing the bowl away, Edith glanced up at Gob. "Thanks for the bed and food. It was really sweet of you."

With his mottled green skin it was difficult to tell, but his face seemed to turn pink at the compliment. Gob ducked his head, a shy smile appearing on the corner of his lips. Even with the exposed muscle stretching over his jawline, it was kind of cute. Okay, more than  _kind of._

Ugh, she had to stop thinking like that.

With a quick smile of her own, Edith reached out for his hand - only to pause mid way. Right,  _that_ hadn't gone so well before. Her hand hovered in the air, then softly came to rest on the cracked bar top. Disappointment settled deep in her gut, the desire to reach out and offer physical contact growing with every passing second. How long had it been since someone -  _anyone -_ had been kind to him? It seemed like far too long. With a small frown, Edith sighed.

"Something wrong?" Gob asked. When Edith glanced up his gaze shifted away - too quickly, like someone afraid of being caught staring. But why stare at  _her?_

Forcing a smile, Edith shrugged. "I'm fine. Do you mind if I hang around until Moriarty comes back? I don't have the caps to buy anything, but it won't be busy until later, right?"

"Kid, Megaton is full of drunks - this place is full as soon as we open. Speaking of," he set down the glass - which really still looked filthy - and made his way around the bar. Although he avoided coming too close, Edith felt the heat from his body. How irradiated were ghouls, anyway?

While Gob busied himself opening shop, Edith rested her chin against the bar top. Dark chocolate eyes drifted to the chipped wooden door, ears straining to hear  _anything_ to signal Moriarty's next arrival. Silence. With a small huff she swung a short leg, letting her foot bump gently against the bar. Maybe she was better off finding a job first, then coming back...

As soon as the thought formed in her mind the door swung open - and suddenly there was a broad, towering figure looming over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We honestly don't even see enough Gob in-game to get a decent feel for his character. I've seen fics portray him as this super timid, frightened by everything type; or as damaged but still super sassy. All versions are good versions, but I tried to go with something a little less helpless than he was in my last draft.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest I don't like this as much as the original version, but I've attempted it so many times now :P I'm impatient! It was chopped and changed a lot, so I apologise for any errors <3

"Mister Moriarty!" Edith bounced to her feet, short legs struggling to meet the ground from the tall stool. Her boot caught the foot rest but she shook herself free without paying it any mind, attention solely on him.

He glanced down at her with dull eyes and a sneer, arms folded firmly across his broad chest. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"Uh," she replied, flinching at his cold voice, "my name's Edith. I'm wondering if you have any information about someone. A man in a vault suit. James. My dad." The words tasted sour on her tongue, a reminder that her father wasn't with her. And that she was a  _long_ way from home.

Moriarty quirked a brow, face settling into a deep scowl. "Sure, I might have info; but it ain't free."

Edith's heart sank. He wanted  _caps_ for information on her missing father? Her full lips curved into a frown as she glanced to the side - but Gob stayed quiet, simply twisting his own lips in a sympathetic look. "I don't have any caps," she told him, "but I killed a bunch of raiders when I got here.  _That_ must have helped you out."

That bushy brow quirked again, and Moriarty smiled in such a way it send a wave of disgust washing over Edith. "Raiders, eh? Well that's just wonderful!" He smirked at his own sarcasm as he pushed past Edith to reach the bar. His shoulder collided with her own, and he wasn't a huge man but the force sent her stumbling. Moriarty only laughed. "I suppose taking out those raiders has earned you  _something -_ so I'll tell you this; your dad passed through her a couple of weeks ago. If you want more info, you'd better have the caps to pay for it."

"Please, can't you tell me  _something_ more? That was barely useful at all. I-"

"Shut it kid, I'm not interested." Moriarty turned his back on her, hands braced against the bar top as he beckoned Gob over. "Now where the  _fuck_ is Nova? You better see what she's up to before I do something you'll _both_ regret."

"Of course, sir." All Moriarty needed to do was raise a brow to send Gob darting up the rotten old stairs, tripping over his own feet in his haste. 

Edith watched him go with a sinking feeling in her gut. She turned to try just  _one more time_ because surely Moriarty could be reasoned with - but the scowl on his face stopped her in her tracks. Instead she dipped her gaze to the floor, hands toying with a fray on the thick coat worn over her jumpsuit.

"Damn zombie isn't good for anything. Don't know why the fuck I keep him around."

Edith's eyes snapped up in horror. "He's not a  _zombie._ " The words slipped from her lips before her brain fully processed them. Hand flying to her mouth, she took a step back.

But Moriarty just snorted in amusement. "Sticking up for the corpse, eh? Waste of your time if you ask me. Now scram before I toss you out."

"Wait, I-"

He ignored her, already making his way across the saloon with wide, loping strides. 

Almost the second he disappeared he was replaced by Gob, glancing nervously at Moriarty's retreating back. A relieved smile crossed his face, showing yellowed teeth that should  _not_ have looked as cute as it did. He took his place behind the bar, eyes flickering up the stairs. "Moriarty's gone. Thank God."

"Oh, phew!" Nova made her way down the stairs, feet so light they were only soundless. It made sense - somehow she was even smaller than Edith. "I thought he was going to be  _so mad_ that I slept in."

"Weren't you with someone?" The words slipped from her lips and she immediately grimaced. Tactful as always, Edith.

Nova just waved a hand, her laugh airy and sweet. "That's what  _he_ thinks. We've worked under Moriarty for  _years;_ we've worked out little ways of getting back at him."

Edith scrunched her nose. "He doesn't sound like a very good employer."

Across the bar, Gob snorted. "He's no employer, kid. He  _owns_ us."

"That's terrible!" Dark eyes widened, that sick feeling rising in her stomach. How  _disgusting_ could a person be? First that Charon guy in Underworld, now  _them_ too? "This wasteland is the  _worst!"_ Throwing up her hands, Edith let out a hiss of indignation. 

Gob flinched as her hands reached for the air, eyes wide and nervous. "I'm sorry, don't hit me!"

Nova sent him a sympathetic smile, but Edith turned to him with a gasp. "Oh hon, I wasn't going to hit you! I'd never. Why do you keep thinking that?"

"Darlin'," Nova said with a sigh, "Moriarty's violence isn't just verbal. He stays away from me so I can stay pretty for the men but..." she trailed off with a shrug.

Edith's lips pursed against the volley of insults, hands  _itching_ to grab that jerk and stick a knife in his throat. She had  _never_ had such thoughts in the vault - but the Capital Wasteland was a whole other world. Instead she just hopped onto the nearest barstool and reached across to pat Gob's arm. "If I had it my way, he'd be chased out of Megaton."

In that moment Gob froze, eyes snapping down to her hand as if he’d never seen one before. Her hand was fair, fingers ending in chipped nails covered in patchy purple nail polish. They were a stark contrast to the leathery yellow-green skin of Gob’s hands, with missing chunks and the weird goop that kept his skin from drying out.

A small, bewildered smile touched the corners of his lips. “Not afraid to touch a ghoul, eh?”

“Why would I be?”

Gob snatched his arm back, quickly gathering up an old cloth to mop down the ancient counter. “Don’t play dumb, smoothskin.”

Edith’s eyebrows creased. “What do you mean?” she questioned, voice thick with concern. She had said something wrong, something to offend him - but what? A moment later it clicked. Right, _of course._ He probably wasn’t used to being touched - least of all by a human. Who knew how long he had been a ghoul, surrounded by humans unwilling to so much as go near him, never mind willingly touch him. She might just have been the first person to touch him in years - decades? A lump rose in Edith’s throat.

“You know what I mean.” Gob didn’t look at her as he snatched up the cloth again, scooping up a glass and sticking his hand inside to scrub it vigorously. “Look, kid, forget it. You’ve gotta know most of your lot aren’t exactly on best terms with ghouls. You hate us.”

"We don't hate you, sweetie," Nova interjected, voice soft. "People around here just like an excuse to be terrible."

Biting her lip, Edith paled. "I'm sorry, Gob.  _Really_."

He let out a small snort of a laugh - though he didn’t seem to see any humour in it. He kept his head lowered, almost as if he was afraid to look at her - but a thin smile curled the edges of his scarred lips. “Thanks, I guess. You’re all right, Edith.”

A beaming smile crossed Nova's face then, and Edith wondered how she could stay so positive in the wasteland. "See, we're all friends here. Now if only we had some customers to add to the mix. Where  _is_ everyone?"

Before either of them had the chance to speak another word, there was a gunshot outside. It rattled in her ears, striking inside her head like a physical blow. Her heart lurched in her chest as she ducked on instinct, hand flying up to shield her head. the other scrabbled for her pistol.

On the other side of the bar top, Gob dropped into a crouch too, folding in on himself as if he hoped to literally disappear.

Nova tried to peek through the window, small body shielded by the bar - but as Edith popped her head up too, it was impossible to see a thing without getting closer - and there was no way in  _hell_ she was doing that.

Here she had thought Megaton was a quiet, unassuming town too far away from anything else to be a bother.

"What the  _hell_ is going on?" Nova demanded, and her usually sultry voice was thick and hoarse.

The second the words left her lips, her question was answered.

The saloon door burst open and slammed against the wall. A cloud of dust rushed in from the wasteland outside - and then a man clad in leather armour strode in, broad shoulders taking up the entire doorway.

_Raiders._

Steel grey eyes drifted over to Edith and a sly smirk spread over his face. “Hiding, are we?” He took another step forward but his smile dropped as he caught sight of the gun clutched in her hands. “You might want to drop that, love. There’s five of us outside - more than enough to tear this shithole town apart.”

Edith’s blood pounded in her ears loud enough to drown everything else out. The raider’s lips kept moving but she didn’t hear another word. She didn’t want to. With sweaty hands she aimed her pistol, finger held carefully over the trigger. “You think I don’t like those odds? Five raiders is nothing. I took out six just yesterday.” She tried to ignore the way her voice shook.

As soon as the words left her lips she regretted them.

The man’s face twisted, brows knitted and lips pulling back to show brown and rotted teeth. “You were the one who killed half our guys Oh, I was hoping I’d get to meet you - so I could fucking  _kill you!_ ” In moments there was a pistol in his hands, drawn deep from a pocket inside his leather coat. It pointed straight to Edith's heart.

"Leave us the  _fuck_ alone!" Nova's voice was little more than a breathless whisper, and she recoiled when the raider turned to her. 

"Oh,  _you're_  a nice one, aren't you? Maybe we'll save you for later." 

"Fuck  _you."_

His eyes narrowed, pistol swinging from Edith to point directly at Nova. "Or maybe I'll just shoot you now,  _bitch."_

“Wait!”

Edith flinched at the voice - but then yellow-green skin flashed in the corner of her vision as Gob revealed his hiding place. He refused to look at her or the raider, head dipped low as he raised his hands in surrender.

The raider’s gun wavered, hands dropping slightly as he stared at Gob. “Ah fuck, Megaton has ghouls here too? And I thought I wanted to shoot this place up  _before_.” That sly smirk returned, lips curving upward to show a sliver of those awful teeth. He snorted out a deep laugh and ran a hand through his hair, apparently forgetting that he was about to kill them. “This place is so shitty I can’t believe no one’s taken you all out before now.”

Did he ever shut up? He was too busy talking to even care that he was about to kill them two seconds ago. Now, apparently, he just wanted to bore them to death. Edith gripped her pistol, regarding the raider with lidded eyes.

He turned slightly to look at the bottles lining the wall above one of the tables, snatching a whiskey from the shelf. “It’s almost like we’re putting you out of your misery, really-”

Edith sprang into action, launching herself to her feet with enough speed to make crimson hair fly in her face. In seconds she was on her feet, pistol aimed at the raider’s back. How stupid was he, turning his back on an enemy? Too cocky for his own good. Hear  _pounding,_ Edith raised her gun to his head.

But she never got to fire a shot. Her vision wobbled dizzyingly and she reached for the bar top for support. Her hand found the cool surface, gripping it tightly enough her knuckles turned white. Squeezing her eyes shut, Edith sucked in a breath. Moving so fast, launching herself like that, of course she was wobbly.

There was an intake of breath from Gob - a small gasp to her left. She had almost forgotten he and Nova were there.

Dark eyes snapped open to reveal the raider inches from her face. The gun was back in its holster - but it was replaced by a long, serrated knife. It glinted in the wasteland sunshine, flickering across Edith’s face. “Thought about shooting me, did you? Good thing you're not so steady on your feet.”

From the corner of her eyes she saw Gob retreat, pressing his back against the wall as if he hoped it would swallow him up. He was terrified, perhaps even more so than Edith.

The cool metal of the knife pressed up against her throat, one of the raider’s hands sneaking around to grip her hair tightly. “Let’s make this fun, shall we?”

Blood rushed to her face, ears burning as her heart thumped in her chest. A ragged gasp escaped her lips as she tried to wriggle free - but his massive hand was strong against her scalp. Pain laced its way down her skull as he tightened his grip and Edith swallowed down a shriek.

“Now, where should I start?” The knife trailed down her neck, lifting up the edge of her red checked shirt. Then it moved to her arm, the needle-sharp point tapping her shoulder.

Blood trickled from her arm as he sliced through, the pain sudden and  _hot_ as the knife sank deeper into her flesh. She cried out, tears springing to her eyes as the raw heat raced along her shoulder. Her pistol clattered to the floor, skidding across the ancient wood.

“What’s that, you hurt?” The raider grinned broadly as thick fingers jerked open her vault suit revealing a black tank still damp from yesterdays rain. Then he jerked down her sleeve to inspect the wound.

Edith couldn’t see, but she knew what it looked like just from the piercing  _agony._ The knife had gone  _deep._

“Oh man, I really did a number on you, huh?” His grin widened, and up close his teeth were even more revolting. Edith could smell his breath, too - cigarettes and whiskey.

Suddenly the knife was back, pressed against the deepest part of the wound. She groaned as the pain spread down her arm, hotter and hotter every second.

“You don’t like that? You should have thought about that before you killed my buddies.” The point of the knife dug deep into her flesh, serrated edge tearing and twisting. Her wound tore wider, skin breaking apart as the knife buried itself in her arm. Warm blood  
seeped down, pooling in the inside of her elbow.

Edith screamed. Her whole arm lit up as if someone had dropped a match on her skin and let her burn. It wound its way down her arm and across her shoulder, even settling in her skull. She couldn’t see, couldn’t think.

“ _Fuck!_ ”

Edith only dimly heard Gob’s voice as the knife dug deeper, was only vaguely aware of the flash of green to her left as he lurched over the bar. He dropped to the floor and emerged with something black in his ruined hands.

She realised dully that it was her gun.

There was a shot, so close it made her head spin. For a brief moment she couldn’t see or hear a thing - her world was just white noise and  _pain._

Then the knife tore from her arm, creating a new slice of red as scraped down her arm and dropped to the ground. When her vision cleared Edith saw scarlet dripping down her arm and pooling on the dirty wooden floor - but there was no way that was all her blood. No, she would have been dead if it was.

Oh. Her brown eyes landed on the body of the raider, crumpled and glassy eyed. He was swimming in blood that leaked from a gaping hole in his head.

“Oh shit.” Nova's voice rang in her ears, but the rest was drowned out by the roar of her own heartbeat.

Edith felt her knees give out and she collapsed, legs splayed out on front of her. She rested her head against the side of the bar, making no attempt to stand back up.

Then Gob sat down at the other end - putting space between them even now. “I’ve never killed anyone before,” he muttered quietly, ragged lips curled in disgust as he glared at the gun in his hands, “even Moriarty… I wanted to, but could never bring myself to do it.”

Edith glanced over, a laugh escaping her lips. “Well, now you've had the practice, maybe Moriarty'll be next.” The joke fell flat on her lips, the punchline drowned out by the bile threatening to rise in her throat. She felt woozy - like she had a killer hangover but without the alcohol. She noted absently that her arm was still bleeding. At least it didn’t hurt now the knife was gone. Much.

Gob glanced over, pale eyes widening as he caught sight of Edith. “Ah jeez, kid, he really messed you up. Let me grab a stimpak or something. Got some med-x somewhere…” he trailed off and hoisted himself to his feet. He realised he was still holding the pistol, face twisting, and dropped it onto the bar top. His hands lingered on it for just a moment before he turned away to rummage in a plastic container.

“You all right?” Nova questioned, coming to kneel by Edith's side.

"I'll live," was her strained reply.

Gob returned to her side, hands shaking, barely able to keep his grip on the stimpak. He wouldn’t look at her as he knelt beside her, but his bloodshot eyes looked watery, like he was about to cry. “I uh, I’m gonna have to touch you to get this needle in. Y-you can do it yourself if you want.” Gob’s eyes drifted over to hers, wide and uncertain. 

Right. No one touched a ghoul unless they had to. Well, Edith did - and she didn’t care anyway. “Look, I feel like I’m about to pass out and I’ll probably hurl if I try to move. Please, I'd rather you did it.” She sounded snappy and short - and a small part of her winced with guilt. The bigger part of her just wanted that stuff inside her so she didn’t feel like literal death.

Gob hovered over her wound for a moment, the stimpak centimetres from her skin. One hand slowly moved down to grip her above the elbow, careful to avoid the gaping hole. For a long moment he didn’t move, as if it would make Edith recoil away in horror. 

Really, though, it was fine. His skin was warm and rough against her skin, hotter than a regular human’s. It was nice though, almost soothing. The raider hadn’t fucked up any nerves, then, if she could feel Gob’s hand against her arm.

“Are you gonna heal me up or what?” she questioned, smiling weakly, “I’m still bleeding here.”

"If you want me to do it, I can. Used enough stims on Gob here after a beating from Moriarty."

Edith's eyes flickered to Nova but she shook her head. "Thanks, but I'd rather Gob did it."

It was difficult to tell, what with Gob’s patchy, thin skin and the fact her brain didn’t want to function properly, but she could have sworn he blushed. He sucked in a breath, then leaned over and carefully inserted the needle into her arm.

Edith yelped as she felt the needle sink in, then relaxed as the stimpak flowed into her system. Her head began to clear immediately and the world came rushing back into focus. There was a sharp jolt as the second stim made its appearance - and then it was gone. The  
pain slowly dulled until it was just a niggling little ache in the back of her mind.

Still, she wasn’t going to risk moving that arm for a while.

Gob sat back, quickly putting as much distance between them as he could. “Are you all right?” he questioned nervously, head dipping back in that all too familiar way. Did he expect her to be angry with him?

“I’m fine. Sort of. Thanks for that - I don’t think I would have been able to inject it myself.”

She smiled and shuffled her body to face him - slowly, because hell if her arm wasn’t still a pulpy mess. She considered looking at it for a moment, then cringed and gently slid her sleeve back up to cover it.

“Do you think its still chaos outside?” Everything was quieter now, no more gunshots or screaming. That either meant the residents of Megaton had killed the raiders - or the other way around. She didn’t want to think about that option.

“I could check. We’re a tough town, probably okay but…” Nova shrugged and climbed to her feet, turning his face away from Edith. "If Moriarty isn't back, it probably means there's still trouble." She sighed, running a slim hand through her shock of red hair. Despite the wooziness, the urge to throw up, Edith realised for the first time that their hair was the same shade of crimson.

Like the blood she was currently soaked in. She shuddered.

Nova slowly opened the door and peeked outside - just enough so she could slam it in a hurry if she needed to.

Before she could come back and let Edith know, the door swung wide and Moriarty shoved past. There was a dark stain spreading across his shirt - but he walked with broad, purposeful strides that told Edith he was unharmed.  _Shame._

"You lot in decent shape? I'd hate for my two best employees to be unfit for work."

"We're your  _only_ employees," Nova muttered under her breath, eyes skimming up to Moriarty - but if he heard, he didn't retaliate. Shaking her head, Nova moved past to offer her hand to Edith.

"We're fine," she replied as Nova hoisted her to her feet with surprising ease. "That guy there stuck a knife in me, though." Her eyes narrowed, bile rising as she cast a glance toward the corpse only a few feet away.

"Well now there's a dead body in my saloon." Moriarty's eyes narrowed as he jerked a finger in the direction of the raider. "And blood is a nightmare to scrub from wood. Gob, get on it."

"Yes, sir!" He cast Edith a worried glance, hand raising almost as if to reach out for her - before he shook his head and dashed to grab a mop.

Outside there was a loud, tinny sound and Edith jumped, wincing as the movement jostled her shoulder. Edith reached for her gun, then remembered it was up on the bar.  _More gunshots?_

A moment later there was another, then another, more and more until it was a steady stream of noise. Edith's face crinkled in a smile as she realised - not gunshots, rain falling on the metal shack roof.

Glancing outside Edith saw only a thick layer of rain battering down on the clustered buildings of Megaton. The sky was tinged with green, lightening sparking in the distance.

_Rad rain._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this chapter is just filled because I'm not entirely sure where this is going :P but enjoy some more cute moments!!

Sprawled out across the ratty sofa in the corner, eyes pinched closed, Edith could have  _almost_ pretended she was back in the vault. Unfortunately the harsh whispers from Gob and Nova ringing incessantly in her ears kind of distracted from that.

Radrain continued to hammer against the tin roof, the droplets singing a choir of noise above her head.

"...should get it looked at."

Edith cracked an eye open, but the luminescent lights in the dingy saloon stung the back of her eyes so she squeezed them shut again. "Guys, I can  _hear_ you. And I'm fine."

There was a soft breeze as someone appeared by her side, the sofa sinking slightly with their weight. Then Nova's voice drifted over as she chided, "well, it's not as if being stabbed is something to take lightly. At least let Doc Church have a look, sweetie."

"No caps, remember?" Edith pulled a face, nose crinkling, "besides, why waste caps on a doctor when there's  _nothing wrong._ "

"At least let her take a look, maybe redo the bandages," Gob supplied, "it's not like there's customers to serve since Moriarty closed the saloon.  _Boy_ I don't think he's done that as long as I've been with him."

Edith practically felt Nova's smile, a beam so bright she didn't even need to see it. "This is basically a day off for us. The first one ever, really. It's not like anyone would want to come in today after what happened..."

Edith blinked her eyes open, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she was met with Nova's petite face craning  over her. She pushed Nova aside to sit up, her back aching dully from the uncomfortable sofa. "Look," she started, one brow raised, "I appreciate the concern, but it's fine. I know you're all concerned about the fragile vault kid but-"

"That's not it," Gob interrupted - and then promptly clamped his torn lips closed when he realised he'd spoken over her. "Sorry!" 

"Don't apologise," Edith replied kindly - and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips. "You're concern is nothing but sweet."

Again that odd almost-flush took over his ragged cheeks, a slight darkening of the green skin Edith could have easily missed. It was cute, actually. "Uh, thanks? I just don't want a nice kid like you getting sick." For a moment he looked like he wanted to say something else, mouth hanging open - but then he just shrugged and dropped his eyes to the floor.

Beside her, Nova chuckled. "Gob sweetie, it's all right to tell her you're worried." Her smile was simply  _shining_ as she tilted her head towards Edith. "He is, you know. Gob here is such a sweetheart, isn't he?"

Edith responded with a musical laugh. "He is."

Nova cast him a glance, then leaned so close that her bright red hair brushed against Edith's jaw. "Between you and me, I think Gob has a little crush. Hey, better you than me." She was positively  _glowing_ as she settled back on the ratty sofa, and it gave Edith the feeling she was up to something.

When Edith's dark eyes turned to Gob, he looked like he wanted to  _disappear._  There was an almost reluctant curl of his lips, like he was fighting a smile - but his head was dipped low. " _Nova,_ " he complained - but it was half-hearted, almost a whine.

A grin curled at the edge of Nova's lips, and for a brief moment a look passed between them that Edith couldn't decipher. She opened her mouth, the question rolling on her tongue - but then Nova lifted herself from the sofa and turned to Edith. "At least let Gob take a look, if you won't let me.  _I'm_ going to have some much needed relaxation time before Moriarty tries to stop me." With a beaming smile and a bat of her lashes, Nova drifted upstairs.

Edith watched her go, brows raised almost to her hairline. Then her chocolate eyes drifted to Gob - who was standing with his arms folded across his broad chest, eyes downcast. "What's wrong?" she questioned, and worry settled in her gut as she watched him shift uncomfortably. Her heart went out to him; the way he hated eye contact, the way he always seemed so  _shocked_ when she spoke to him. Sometimes she just wanted to wrap him in a hug and  _never_ let go.

If he was aware of her concern, he didn't show it - which only served to make the uneasy, concerned feeling swirling in Edith's stomach grow. "It's nothing just... don't listen to anything Nova says, all right? She loves to tease, but there's nothing to it."

When his milky eyes flickered up to Edith's face, she held his gaze for only a moment before  _she_ dropped her gaze. Butterflies flitted about in her chest and she couldn't help the small smile curling at her lips. But why? 

"Anyway," Gob's voice broke her from his thoughts, the scratchy tenor making her smile widen. "Let me take a look at those bandages. I mean, uh, if that's okay?"

A small laugh burst from Edith's lips and her heart felt lighter than it had all day. After all of  _this,_ it was a miracle she was able to smile at all. When she looked at Gob though, eyes drifting across his torn face, it felt like everything was somehow  _okay._ "Gob honey, of course it's all right. They probably need changing anyway."

"You could have let Nova do it," he muttered - but he turned to fetch the med kit from behind the bar.   
  
"I'd prefer you to do it!" she called. As he disappeared behind the bar, Edith tasked herself with sitting up. Her injury had settled into a dull ache; but as she hoisted herself up with her good arm, the slight jostle of movement sparked fresh pain along her shoulder, slowly spreading down to her elbow. She winced, a small huff leaving her lips as she swung her legs, feet dropping to the floor. She blinked as tears dotted her vision - and then as Gob's broad body swam into vision she quickly wiped her cheeks.

"Okay, fresh bandages and another stim, just in case." He settled down beside her - pressed into the arm of the sofa, Edith noticed. Even now he didn't want to get close until he had to. It was so painfully  _sweet_ \- but did he really think she wanted that?

With a soft smile, Edith reached out to gently pluck the bandages from his hands. "I appreciate this, by the way. Thanks for taking care of me."

He flinched at the action, automatically reeling back as if afraid of the contact. But when Edith gently brushed a hand across the thick, tattered skin of his arm he almost  _sank_ into  the brief touch. A tiny smile curled at his lips, barely visible.

Well, it was a slow process - but Edith thought she was making at least a little progress. He was just so  _touch starved_ and it broke her heart to think about it. When she retracted her hand to drop the bandages into her lap, Gob's smile faltered and  _God,_ she wanted nothing more than to hug him tight and never let go.

Clearing her throat, Edith's eyes flickered from Gob as she unravelled the bandage and tore off a strip. "So I was thinking about finding a job today. I heard someone mention someone called Moira, and-"

"No!"

Edith's chest skipped, dark eyes snapping up to see Gob's wide milky eyes staring right at her. It was such a  _surprise_ that for a moment her mind went blank. What?

"Sorry," Gob winced, lips curling, "It's just... Moira is known around here for some pretty crazy stuff. Dangerous,  _experimental_ stuff."

Slowly Edith's mind cleared, but she had to physically tear her gaze from Gob as he dipped his head once more. "Like the local mad scientist?" she joked.

"Exactly." He didn't elaborate, but he didn't need to. Instead his gaze flickered up to Edith, momentarily resting on her shoulder before ducking away. "I uh, I'm going to need you to roll down your collar so I can see your shoulder. A-are you wearing anything underneath that vault suit?"

"Oh!" Edith's cheeks flushed so scarlet she  _felt_ the warmth spreading. One hand reached up to toy with the zipper. It wasn't like this was a big deal - she had a tank top underneath as always, the same one Gob had seen when that  _asshole_ first ripped down her suit. Still... With a nervous little laugh, Edith unzipped it down to her waist, gently sliding her arms from the skintight sleeve.

"Thanks." Gob's green tinged skin looked warmer than usual, the pink muscle peeking from the skin somehow all the more obvious. Over the last few days it was becoming  _increasingly_ obvious how ghoul's blushed. Funny, she had never thought about it much until Gob.

Ah, now was  _not_ the time to be thinking about how damn cute that blush made him look. Ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, Edith plucked at the bandage clinging to her arm. They were only a few hours old but already they were crusty with old blood - and while Edith had never been squeamish, it was different when the blood was  _hers._ She turned her head away as Gob carefully peeled away the old bandages. 

"I'm sorry, does this hurt?" Gob's voice was soft, gentle, as he drew his hand back. When her eyes flickered over he looked nervous - almost scared. "I don't do this often... well, at all really. No one's let me this close to them before."

"Hey," Edith replied, voice soft, "you're doing  _fine._ Just like you did fine when you patched me up before."

He smiled then, a shy little quirk of his lips that was so painfully  _sweet._ For someone with rotting skin and a cavern for a nose, he managed to be so incredibly  _cute._

They fell into silence as Gob worked, carefully peeling the bandages from her skin and pressing a damp cloth to the wound. His hands were so delicate for someone his size -  still afraid to really touch her, still worried she was going to pull away in disgust. 

But Edith sat patiently as he worked, eyes purposefully trained  _away_ from the gaping hole in her shoulder. There was a burning desire to look down, to see what the bloodied wound looked like - but  _no,_ she didn't give herself the chance.

When Gob finally wrapped fresh bandage around her arm, Edith sighed in relief. The pain was almost non existent thanks to Gob's careful hands, but she knew it wasn't going to heal right away. "Thank you," she breathed, full lips curving upward."

"Don't worry about it, kid." He dropped his hands the  _second_ he was done, like her skin was hot to the touch - but when Edith stopped him with a soft hand over his own, he didn't pull away. He just stared at their entwined hands like it was some  _marvel,_ something he had never seen before.

Maybe no one  _had_ held his hand before.

"I mean it, Gob. Thanks." She squeezed before letting go - and her hand felt oddly empty without his. Shaking her head, Edith forced the thoughts from her mind. "Now, I guess I should pop around to see this Moira."

Gob's white gaze snapped to her, lips open as if to argue - but then he simply sighed. "You really have your mind set on that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Edith replied with a grin, "Hey, caps are caps, I don't care where they come from." She shrugged, eyes sparkling as Gob shifted uncomfortably. He was so  _cute_ when flustered.

After a moment Gob simply shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I won't try to change your mind. Just be careful, okay? Ask anyone in Megaton and they'll tell you the same thing - Moira is  _bad news._ "

"What?" Edith couldn't help the bubble of laughter rising in her throat, or the quirk of her lips. "She can't be  _that_ bad."

He shrugged, still unconvinced. "Don't get me wrong, Moira's nice enough - but she's got some real questionable stuff going on. Fancies herself as an inventor."

Honestly, that sounded  _cool._ What wasn't to love about some interesting new inventions? Edith was practically bouncing in her seat, hands clasped tightly on her lap. "Okay, I  _definitely_ have to check her out! I bet she has some really amazing things - and if I can get the caps out of it, then I can get info on my dad too. It's a win all around!"

Gob winced - but when he opened his mouth, no words left him. He seemed to study her for a moment, pale eyes unusually focused - almost as if he was seeing her for the first  time. It was  _just_ long enough for Edith to feel the creeping feeling of discomfort before he sighed and dropped his gaze to the floor. "I can't stop you, kid. Just  _please_ watch yourself for me. I uh, I mean-"  
  
"I  _know_ what you mean," Edith reassured, "And I will. I just need everything I can get right now, you know."

"Yeah."

With a beaming smile Edith hopped to her feet - ignoring the dull throb of her newly bandaged shoulder - and leaned over to brush a soft peck to Gob's cheek. "Wish me luck! I'll be back in a bit."

When she spun around to leave, Edith caught Gob raise one broad hand to press lightly against the spot her lips had just vacated. A goofy smile spread across his lips, almost like a daydream, as Edith slipped outside.

Huh. Maybe Nova was onto something after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie lads, I was really going to take my time with this fic but I'm bad at anything longer than 10k and I'm sort of rushing it so I can get to the Good Stuff. 
> 
> So feel free to leave a comment, let me know if you like this or not because well, I'm enjoying writing this but I want to know how you guys feel too (even if there aren't many of ya :P)

The door to the saloon swung wide, banging off the wall as Edith stormed in. Her vibrant red hair was a tangled rat's nest, her arms felt heavier than lead, and there was a brand new hole in her jumpsuit - as well as a fresh cut below her jaw. "I swear," she started, not even giving a wide-eyed Nova time to speak, "I am _never_  going near Moira again - no matter how desperate I am for caps."

Nova had been perched on a rickety bar stool, apparently without a man for the night. Her full lips melted into a sympathetic frown as she beckoned Edith over. "Oh hon, we __did__  warn you. What did she get you to do."

"Well, first of all I had to raid a Super Duper Mart - which was fine, except that it was filled with raiders. Then I had to irradiate myself to the point I swear I puked up all the food I've ever eaten - and __then__  I had to traipse through a mine field." Edith collapsed onto the nearest bar stool, legs turning to jelly underneath her. Dropping her head onto the bar, she let out a low groan. "The woman is insane."

Nova's warm hand settled between Edith's shoulder blades, thumb rubbing gentle circles across her back. "I hope she at least gave you Rad Away?"

"Oh yeah, but I still feel like shit. If I start turning into a ghoul, I know who to blame." The bar top felt cool against her forehead, Nova's gentle touch enough to help her shoulders relax. If only it was Gob's gentle hands against her, without the fabric of the vault suit between them.

Wait, what?

A low groan left Edith's lips as she ran a hand through messy strands of crimson hair, eyes pinching shut. Why was she thinking about __that__?

"What's wrong, hon? Still feeling the effects of rad sickness?" Nova's voice was gentle, understanding - but Edith imagined that pretty face twisting when she realised what Edith was __really__  thinking about.

"Not exactly," came her evasive reply, "where's Gob, by the way?" Edith sat up, eyes flickering to the ancient stairs that led to the bedrooms. "You've only just closed up, right?"

"Moriarty gave him quite a beating today. Dropped a couple of glasses and Jericho accused him of doing it on purpose, jerk that he is." Nova's hand retreated from Edith's back as a low sigh left her lips. "He isn't asleep; Gob never sleeps this early but I think he just wanted to be alone."

Fire sparked in Edith's stomach, eyes narrowing as she clamped her lips shut. Oh, the things she wanted to do to Moriarty! "Bastard. I can't believe he treats you both like this! You should run away, disappear somewhere he can't find you."

"With what, honey? The only caps are what he gives us - and Gob's in more debt now than he was when Moriarty first bought him. We're slaves, love."

Edith fell silent. Hot tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and her chest __hurt__  with the knowledge. The wasteland was too cruel, too unforgiving and she just wished she was back in the vault, safe with her father. She wished the only thing she had to worry about was Butch's teasing and the bordedom of her daily routine. "You shouldn't have to put up with it. Neither of you. It isn't fair."

"I know," Nova replied softly, head dipping, "but this is the life we lead now."

She blinked back more tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "My dad's disappeared, you two are stuck here, and the whole world is a shitshow. Why couldn't we have been born a couple of hundred years ago?"

"Hey." Nova raised her head, and her olive eyes were damp too. "Worry about yourself first, all right? Go get some sleep. And," she managed a smile, red lips curving, "maybe pop in and see Gob? I'm worried about him, but I don't want him thinking I'm trying to pry."

"Yet you don't think he'd mind an almost stranger knocking on his door?"

"Trust me," Nova replied, and there was something in the way her smile broadened that made Edith think she knew something, "he won't. Remember what I said earlier?"

"You think he has a crush on me," Edith shot back, not missing a beat. A hesitant smile spread across her lips - and it was genuine, a flush spreading across her cheeks. Trust Nova to brighten her mood in only a handful of words.

Nova simply nodded with a knowing grin - then chased Edith from her perch with a wave of her hand and a musical laugh, "now go on, you deserve an early night after dealing with Moira."

Edith hopped down from the stool, wobbling as her short legs struggled to make the jump. When she turned around to say goodnight to Nova, the woman simply waved her away. So she padded up the stairs on quiet feet. Already she was learning what steps creaked, how to put her foot just so to avoid disturbing anyone. Edith passed door after door, including her own, until coming to a stop in front of one of three doors that were not for rent.

When she knocked, fist soft against the rotting wood, there was silence on the other side. In the quietness of the dark evening, it made her shudder. She knocked again, waited for a response that never came. Perhaps Gob thought she was Nova - or, more likely, Nova had been wrong in assuming he wanted company. Her legs felt heavy as she stepped away from the door, hand dropping dejectedly back to her side. Why did it bother her so much, anyway?

Just as she turned away, a pout on her lips, she heard a quiet, " _ _what is it__?"

Edith's heart skipped, a soft smile replacing the pout as she pressed a palm to the door. "Hey Gob, it's Edith. Nova told me what happened and I… wanted to ask if you were okay. Do you need anything?"

Quiet shuffling met her ears, muffled by the door - but it sounded like he was moving. A moment later the door cracked open to reveal a darkened room - and __Gob__. "Hi, Edith."

Relief flooded through her, so overwhelming for a moment words left her. Edith opened her mouth to speak - but when she saw the dark bruise spread underneath his left eye and the inflamed cut along his jaw her mind stuttered to a stop. "Oh __Gob__ ," she managed in a breathless voice, "he really did a number on you."

Even in the dimness of the unlit hall, seeing him like that _ _hurt__. The bruise was a striking, painful purple against mottled green skin, milky white eye tinged red and bloodshot.

Edith reached out to trace a thumb below his eye but he flinched away, retreating into the darkness of his room. "He's done worse," he replied quietly, shrugging broad shoulders as if it was no big deal - but Edith didn't miss the way he dipped his head, or the way he turned his head to hide it from her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, the ache in her chest only growing, "he shouldn't be allowed to do this." She reached out again, an automatic gesture, but hovered just above his shoulder without touching. "He's lucky he has information on my dad, otherwise I'd kill him." Her voice was almost a growl, eyes narrowed to slits. How _ _could__  he?

"Don't," Gob replied with a sigh, "it's not worth it, kid. Nobody cares about a ghoul." He ducked his head with a tiny huff.

Scrunching her nose, Edith took a step forward - not quite stepping over the threshold to his room, toesjust shy of the door frame. "I do," she replied quietly, smiling softly to let him know it was __okay__. "If you need anything, I'm here." Her hand still hovered by his shoulder and slowly, so slowly she felt as if she was hardly moving, Edith cupped his cheek. When he didn't flinch away, Edith's smile grew. "And if Moriarty does this again, he'll have to deal with __me__."

They fell into silence, but it felt different. No longer was it stifling, creepy in the ancient, drafty saloon. It felt like peace.

Gob's eyes slipped closed as Edith traced the sharp line of his cheekbone with her thumb. He sighed; such a quiet, tiny sound she would have missed it if her attention hadn't been so rapt. "Thanks, Edith. I don't know why you care so much about some old ghoul, but I'm grateful."

"You're not less just because you're a ghoul Gob. And anyway, I like you. You're a great guy." Her touch, ever gentle, dipped down to trace his jaw. Her thumb brushed over rough, uneven skin, tracing the shape of his jaw, his chin, up to his lips… Then she leaned forward, lips barely grazing his and oh, she hadn't expected them to be so soft, but somehow they felt like __satin.__

Gob jerked back, large hands pushing her back as he stumbled. " _ _Edith,__  what are you doing?" 

Just like that the spell was shattered. Her eyes snapped up to his face, black-brown eyes locking on faded blue ones. Immediately she felt her cheeks flush with heat, chest skipping a beat as she took a step back. "I- I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking! I just wanted to check on you, but you looked so upset and I-"

"A pity kiss?" Gob's voice, usually so soft and careful, cut through her like ice. "Thanks, kid. Nice to know you're just like all the other smoothskins out there. No, you're worse." His lips curled, lips that just a moment ago had been pressed against her own, and then he was reaching to slam the door in her face.

Edith stuck out her hand to catch the door before it closed, the heavy wood smacking against her palm and __fuck,__  she shouldn't have used her injured arm. Pain bloomed across her shoulder but she bit back the gasp stuck in the back of her throat. "Gob wait, that wasn't what I mean!" Her voice rose, and Edith knew Moriarty was going to have a fit if she woke someone up but _ _who cared__? "Please, I shouldn't have sprung that on you but I promise it wasn't from pity."

His eyes narrowed, and the bruise looked so painful Edith didn't know how he could bare it. "Then what?" he finally demanded, but his voice had softened. He sounded almost __hopeful.__

"Easy," she replied softly, "I like you. You're just so sweet and easy to talk to, and you were one of the first people to be kind to me since leaving the vault." She ducked her head, looking up at him through her thick lashes. "And you're handsome, too."

"Kid, I..." Gob trailed off and his shoulders slumped. Suddenly he looked very small despite such broad shoulders filling up the doorway. "You don't really think that, you __can't__. And this would never work. We would never work."

"Why?" She reached out for him, small hands itching to brush against his shoulder, to touch him, to know everything was okay between them. When Gob dodged her touch, shoulder slipping out of reach, she sighed in defeat and let her hand drop to her side. "Really Gob, I don't understand."

He laughed; a quiet, humourless sound. "If people saw us together, you'd be outcasted. Ghouls and humans, it just doesn't happen; even you've been around long enough to know that." He met Edith's gaze for barely a second before dropping his eyes to the floor, a small sigh escaping him. One mottled green hand danced up to his face, tracing the hole where his nose should have been. Then, with a quiet sigh he simply shook his head. "You don't really like me Edith, how could you?"

Before Edith had the chance to reply, Gob's grip on the door tightened. He pushed it closed, refusing to meet Edith's gaze as he slipped back into his room. 

"But I __do__  like you," came her reply, barely a whisper - but the door separated them, her words left unheard. She was alone in the pitch black hallway, the ghostly feel of Gob's lips against her own the only proof that anything had happened at all. Slumping against the wall, Edith gently traced her lips with a gentle finger. Then she cast one last glance at  the door; firmly closed, no sounds from the other side - before forcing her legs to turn away.

She had really messed things up, hadn't she?


	6. Chapter 6

Caps spilled across the table, the jingle of hundred of pieces of metal filtering over the racket of the crowded bar. "There's your caps. Now tell me where my dad is." Edith popped out a hip, hands on her waist, and glared down at Moriarty - who sat with his feet on the dirty saloon table, eyes lidded as he regarded her. Just that one look made her skin crawl.

"Great. Now, if you'd just give me a moment to count them…"

Biting down on her lip, it took  _ _all__  of Edith's self restraint not to grab the collar of his sweat stained shirt and drag him over the table. Instead she settled for huffing loudly, hands clenching around her slender waist. "It's all there, I promise you. Now; my father?"

Moriarty simply snorted, nodding like a sage old man - except she knew he was quite the opposite. "Fine, I suppose I can trust a good little girl like you, can't I? Dear old dad passed through here a couple weeks ago, heading for Galaxy News Radio. Don't ask me what he wanted from that place, because I didn't ask."

"Okay…" Edith's lips pursed into a fine line. Finally she was getting somewhere, finally there was some  _ _clue__  about her dad. Except that was weeks ago, and he had probably moved on. "Is there anything else? Did he say where he was going after, or how long he was stopping?"

"Nope. It's none of my business, kid."

Shit. A hundred caps, just for that tiny tidbit? The way Moriarty leered at her, the way his lips curled - it all told Edith that he was hiding something. Or a lot of somethings. With a groan she buckled, collapsing heavily onto the closest chair with enough force to send it scooting backward. "Is there  _ _anything__  else you know?"

"I'm a barman kid, I know a lot of things; but nothing is free, if you get where I'm coming from." That leering grin grew wider, showing black rotting teeth and receding gums. It made her want to vomit.

With a groan rising in her throat and the urge to punch his  _ _stupid face__  growing by the second, Edith spun on her heels and stormed off, not even casting him a second glance.

Somewhere to her left, over the din of the saloon, someone laughed. "I guess our little vaultie isn't getting her way. Poor kid, used to having everything handed to her."

Edith's lips curled, and she was _ _so ready__  to snap at whichever jerk had decided her day wasn't terrible enough - but then she caught Nova reach across the bar and thump the guy over the head. "Shut up Jericho, or I'll toss you out."

"You don't have the power. Besides, Moriarty'd have your head."

The rest of the conversation blended into the clamour of voices and clinking glasses as Edith caught a glimpse of green from the corner of her vision.  _ _Gob.__  Oh, if only the damn bar wasn't so busy - then maybe she could have slipped somewhere private, spoken to him, tried to explain last night…

He didn't even look at her as he slid past with a tray full of whiskey - in fact, when he caught a glimpse of her in the crowd he ducked his head, milky eyes purposefully turned away. Even then Edith caught a flash of the deep purple bruise under one eye.

Talk to Gob, beat the hell out of Moriarty. Two things on the top of her wish list. Which one was more impossible?

Well, if she couldn't do anything about her problems, she could at least drink until she forgot them. With one last wistful glance Gob's way, Edith turned to the little table where Jericho and Nova sat.

"Hey sweetie, you all right?"

"Yeah," Edith replied, but she cast Jericho a half hearted glare as she flopped onto the seat opposite. "Could you get me a Nuka Cola and whiskey? I'd ask Gob but…" she trailed off, eyes dropping to the floor.

"Of course. He told me about last night. It's not your fault you know." Her smile was sympathetic, full lips pursed and delicate eyebrows pinched in concern.

"Last night?" Jericho's voice war rough - like a heavy smoker's - and so loud Edith flinched. "What happened last night." His eyes were bloodshot and hazy as they focused on Edith, voice slurred as he continued, "aw no. That corpse… and you?"

Edith felt her cheeks burn as she folded in on herself. If only the floor would just swallow her up, then she wouldn't have to deal with any of this. Ducking her head, she looked to Nova, eyes silently pleading _ _help!__

"Of course not Jericho," Nova replied, and her voice never lost its sweet, angelic quality - despite the narrow eyed glare sent his way, "but it's none of your business, you old drunk. Now," turning back to Edith, her expression softened, "let's get you that drink." As the two stood up, Nova linked her slender arm through Edith's, casting Jericho a sour look. "Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone."

He grumbled something as they left, leaning so heavily against the table it looked to be the only thing holding him up. The words were lost, though, to the chatter of the crowded saloon.

"So, about you and Gob…" Nova rose a brow as she turned to Edith - and then she swung them aside, stopping mid step to push Edith against the wall. "Now, you better explain this whole thing to me, sweetie. I want to help. Gob's been the happiest I've ever seen him since you first strode into this saloon, and you've changed his world in only a few days. So what changed?"

Edith winced, stained black lips curling as her eyes drifted to the bar. Past Nova's shoulders she only just made out Gob's sturdy body, patchy green skin illuminated by the yellow bar lights. "Well, I kissed him." The words left her lips so purposefully, so  _ _matter of fact__  - but she felt the redness burning her cheeks. "And he didn't take it too well."

"Yeah, that's what he said. Honey, you have to understand," Nova paused, glancing behind her as if checking to make sure Gob himself wasn't somehow listening, "we've had it hard here. And Gob's been a ghoul for a long time. He isn't used to people around here being so nice, least of all showing  _ _interest.__ "

She knew that. God, she had seen how Moriarty treated him - how everyone in this awful town had treated him. Like he was less than human. But he wasn't - and she just wanted him to understand that she was genuine.  _ _So genuine.__

Nova's lips pursed as she cast a glance over her shoulder - toward the bar, where Gob stood serving two drunk guards - and sighed. Even if it wasn't audible over the hustle of the saloon, the furrow of her brow said everything. "I know you'll be gone soon since Moriarty told you where your dad is, but if you up and leave without at least talking to him-"

" _ _Woah!__ " Edith threw up a hand, heart skipping. Did Nova  _ _seriously__  think she was just going to abandon them? Just up and leave without trying to mend things with Gob? She opened her mouth to deny it, but all that left her mouth was a quiet huff of disappointment. "I'm not… there's still things I have to do here, to prepare before I leave. And anyway, I… well, I like Gob. A lot. I would hate to just leave the way things are, you know?"

Nova's frown softened, round face melting into a relieved smile. When she stepped away from Edith, all of the tension melted away from her shoulders. "Good, that's what I like to hear. Now, let's get you that drink! Sit yourself and I'll go get it for you."

Nova bounced off before Edith had a chance to respond, leaving her in the middle of the busy saloon. A quick glance around confirmed there wasn't a single table free - to make it worse, there was a spare stool right by where Gob stood serving, which basically meant it was completely out of reach. Just like  _ _he__  was.

Edith leaned against the wall, head tilted up to see over the heads of the other patrons. She just made out the shape of Gob as he rushed from one end of the bar to the other, his head ducked low as he poured drinks for a rowdy couple nearby. He looked so nervous, so out of place even though Nova had told him he'd been here for so long. If only she could take him with her, free him from Moriarty's bullshit and Megaton's bigoted residents.

Vivid red rushed Edith's vision, short, bouncy hair not unlike her own. Then Nova gently pushed a cold glass into her waiting hands. "Here you go, sweetie. Thirty caps."

The words snapped Edith from her thoughts so sharply she actually  _ _gasped__ , blinking owlishly at Nova as she beamed brightly. "Huh?"

Nova's laugh was like music, so sweet and melodic that suddenly Edith realised why the men went crazy for her. "Thirty caps. Come on, you might be my favourite guest but you don't get free drinks, you know." She smiled brightly, lips curving in a way that made Edith suspect she knew  _ _exactly__  what Edith had been daydreaming about.

Edith's cheeks  _ _burned__  and she ducked her head, gulping a mouthful of Nuka Cola and whiskey just so she had an excuse not to talk. The drink burned on the way down - and despite herself, Edith winced. Smooth. "C-caps, right." Edith set the half empty glass down to fumble with her little cap pouch, dropping the right amount into Nova's hand. She couldn't look at her as she picked her glass back up, ignoring the burn as she downed the rest of the drink.

Nova pocketed the caps with a grin. "You know," Nova said, her tone airy in a way that meant trouble, "I put an extra shot of whiskey in there. Figured it might give you enough of a buzz to go talk to Gob." Then, with a wicked smile she turned on her heel. "You can thank me later!" With that she winked, then strode off into the crowd.

Edith only groaned.  _ _Why__  had she trusted Nova to mind her own business? It seemed nobody in this damn town knew how to do that. Her head thudded against the wall as she leaned back, eyes squinting closed. Just get drunk and go talk to Gob. Yeah Nova, what a genius idea!

"Hey, move it!"

Edith's eyes snapped open just as a burly man in leather shoved past. Their shoulders collided, the force knocking the wind from Edith as her narrow hip knocked into the closest table. The glass slipped from her hand, shattering against the ground. Edith gasped, jumping back from the tiny shards - and when she looked up, the guy was leering at her.

"Stupid girl. Hey you, corpse! Come clean up this idiot's mess."

The man turned to point a finger at Gob, voice a rough growl over the chatter - but Edith caught his wrist, body moving without allowing her mind time to catch up. "He's not a  _ _corpse__ , and I'm not an idiot. You can't talk to people like that-"

He whipped back around, greasy hair brushing against Edith's face and she smelled the sweat clinging to his skin, the alcohol on his breath as he leaned in so close their noses almost touched. "I'll talk to that freak however I damn please, and a pathetic vaultie like you can't stop me." He smiled, showing yellowed teeth and receding gums - and his breath was so rancid it made Edith flinch. His smile widened, taking her disgust for fear, and gave her shoulder a solid shove as he stalked away.

Anger bubbled up in Edith's chest, hands clenched by her side as she marched forward - only for sharp pain to jolt through her foot. Eye snapping down, she saw glass.  _ _Of course.__  Sighing, the fight drained from her in seconds. 

When she glanced back up, her dark chocolate eyes locked on milky grey-blue ones. Gob held her gaze as he scurried over, brush in hand - but as the distance closed between them he ducked his head.  "I hope that guy didn't cause you trouble," he muttered, and Edith barely heard him above the noise enveloping them, "he's a mean one."

"I'm fine," Edith replied, her voice just as soft, "let me clean it up. You're busy enough as is."

Mottled fingers clutched the brush tighter, and Gob kept his eyes purposefully on the floor. "It's fine. I don't want Moriarty to think I'm slacking. You should go get another drink. Nova will get it."

Edith's lips parted, but instead of words only a quiet sigh escaped her lips. "Listen, Gob, about yesterday-"

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm not angry I'm just... disappointed. I thought you were better than that, kid." His lips curled as he stepped back and started sweeping - and it was if that broken glass was the only thing that mattered.

Edith's heart plummeted. What was she supposed to say to that? He had things  _ _so wrong__ , and she didn't have a damn clue how to make him see how genuine she was. "You're working, and I'm not going to bother you when Moriarty's lurking around - but once this place closes, can I talk to you? I just want to explain."

The brush swept past her legs, Gob's lips pursed in a look of concentration far too intense for such a menial task. He didn't say a word, but Edith thought she saw his eyes flicker up to her face, just for a moment. Just when Edith thought he was going to ignore her for good, a sigh slipped from his chapped lips. "Fine. But it better be good, Edith."

He used her name. That was a start, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be a lot longer and less like a filler chapter, but I really don't know what I'm doing lol. I have a plot in mind, but filling the inbetween bits is proving tricky. I hope y'all are enjoying this silly self indulgence, though!


	7. Chapter 7

Two hours and _several_  glasses of whisky later, Edith sat slumped in the corner, head pressed into the table. The wooden chair dug uncomfortably into her backside and it wobbled every time she tried to move, but she hadn't bothered to sit somewhere else even after the saloon had closed.

Someone ruffled her hair, and then let out a musical laugh before saying, "I'm off to bed. Goodnight, Edith. Try to sort things out with Gob, all right?"

She just huffed in reply, not even lifting her head. After __hours__ of running the possibilities through her head, she had come to the conclusion that the only way this was going to end was in __embarrassment.__  Or worse. She really hoped it wasn't going to be worse. she focused on the quiet click, click of Nova's heels as she ascended the stairs, slowly lifting her head to watch her go.

And then she was alone. With Gob. Who hadn't said a single thing to her or Nova since the saloon closed. He stood by the bar as always, cleaning the last of the glasses with a rag that __probably__ didn't do much to actually clean. He didn't acknowledge her presence. Was he waiting for her to make the first move, or did he not want her there at all?

A small sigh escaped Edith's lips, heart dropping into her stomach. Why was this so difficult? With a groan she managed to pull herself to her feet, but her legs wobbled and it became clear that those extra drinks had been a mistake. Well, at least if she made a huge idiot of herself she could just blame the alcohol.

The dull patter of rain reached her ears as she settled onto the nearest bar stool. Quiet, tinny droplets hitting the roof of the saloon. Outside, Megaton was already enveloped in darkness - and had been since early evening - but the little drops of rain shimmered in the night.

A good omen? Or a bad one?

Edith sucked in a breath, the sound of rain ringing in her ears, and turned to Gob.

He didn't look up at her as he set down a chipped glass, but he __did__  drop the rag onto the bar top and tilt his head as if to say go on. His face was hidden, and Edith thought it seemed intentional, the way he angled himself away from her.

"So uh, about last night," she started, and her voice wobbled not from the alcohol but from the rising urge to cry. Why? She had never been a crier - not even as a kid when Butch teased her, not even when she realised her father was gone. Her eyes flickered up, trying to catch just a __glimpse__ of Gob's face but he kept his head low. Was he even listening? "Look, it was an impulse thing and I shouldn't have done it, not without __asking__  at least. So I'm sorry for that. But I'm not sorry for kissing you, because you're a lovely guy and I like you, I really do."

Silence. In the dimness of the saloon, the silence somehow felt more suffocating, and the rain didn't feel comforting any more but __overwhelming,__  the patter thundering in her ears in the absence of voices.

Then Gob spoke, his voice so soft she might have missed it. "It doesn't matter if you like me or not," he replied, and he ducked his head as if he expected a blow, "we would never work. Not here, not with Moriarty and Jericho and everyone else so eager to tear you down . You deserve better than being stuck with a ghoul."

"I won’t be stuck with you, not if I __want__ to be with you. Which I do." Edith reached out, and she wasn't thinking as she stretched a thin arm across the bar to cup his hand with hers. His skin, always so warm, made her smile. "If you don't want this just say and I'll stop pushing you, but I promise I'm as genuine as they come."

Gob stared at their entwined hands, freckled and tanned against blotchy green. "It's not that I don't want to, but I'm sorry. We can't."

When he drew his hand away, Edith felt cold. She let her own hand slip from the bar top, watching as Gob lifted another glass and began to clean. He kept his head down, and Edith knew that was the end of their discussion.

There were a million things she wanted to say - that she was sorry, sorry for pressuring him and sorry for Moriarty being so awful and sorry for Megaton treating him so poorly that he wasn't even __willing__  to give romance a chance. She wanted to tell him that it was okay and she wasn't mad, that she hoped they could still be friends.

Instead she pursed her lips, a soft sigh escaping her closed lips before she clambered from the stool. With each step she took towards the stairs and away from Gob, Edith felt her heart sink deeper and deeper into her stomach, the tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She stopped with a hand on the rail, foot raised before the first step - and when she turned back to Gob, he purposefully avoided her gaze.

She ascended the stairs without another word, though she knew sleep wasn't going to come easily that night.

* * *

 

Edith's eyes shot open, whole body freezing up as her eyes searched the darkness of her room. Her heart was _hammering_  and she didn't know why. Pushing herself up, Edith took a deep breath and reached for the rusty old sidelight by the bed. It flickered on, enveloping the room in a soft yellow glow.

The room was empty. Silence surrounded her, not even the quiet snores from other rooms. Everything was __fine__. So why had she woken up so suddenly?

Cold hit her bare legs as she tossed back the greying covers, the chill sending goosebumps along her limbs. Shivering, she grabbed the vault suit from the floor and tugged it on, wincing as she caught her injured shoulder on the sleeve. A quick glance confirmed the bandages were peeling away, though she couldn't be bothered fixing it. Not when there was a strange urge pulling her to the bar on the floor below.

By the time Edith had tugged on her shoes she was practically __buzzing__  with energy, and although she crept quietly to the door the urge to run was __overwhelming.__  She jittered by the door - then turned, grabbing up her gun before leaving. For some reason, she thought she was going to need it.

Out in the hall, with the darkness surrounding her and the silence so thick it was almost palpable, she started to wonder if this hunch was all imaginary.

Until a soft creak reached her ears; almost like a step hitting a squeaky floorboard, or someone trying to open a rusty cupboard. Edith held her breath, listening - and then a quiet whisper floated up from the saloon.

Someone was _ _inside.__

Edith clutched her pistol, but the cool metal was little comfort. With her hand braced against the bannister she risked a quick peek over, crimson hair falling in her eyes.

A man stood in the shabby armour of the local raider gang, all rust and leather and greasy hair. He faced the door, away from Edith, and as he shifted his weight she saw the glint of a knife strapped to his hip. In his meaty hands he held a shotgun, loaded and aimed for the door. He must not have realised there were people inside, too.

"Hey, catch!"

Edith ducked, heart skipping a beat as a scrawny man in matching armour popped up from the bar. He tossed a bottle toward the other man, who spun just in time to catch it one handed. "Nice one!"

"Keep it down!" the first man demanded in a strained whisper, and as he turned Edith saw the perfect view of his face. Tanned skin was marred by a thick scar winding its way down his jaw, lips pulled down in a permanent scowl.

Edith dipped down as his gaze shifted across the saloon, and she sucked in a breath. Frozen in place, head down, Edith felt her heart rate quicken, breath hitching as she took another breath. He had seen her, he __had to__ have! And now he was going to come up those stairs and stab her, or maybe shoot her, and then he was going to go upstairs and-

"Hurry up, we're not here for drink." The dull sound of footsteps clamoured against the hardwood floor as the scarred man retreated, followed by the pop of a bottle being opened.

Edith glanced up, watching as he took a swig of whatever was in that bottle, before turning back to his buddy. "We're only here for that vault girl, remember? That bitch has killed a lot of us since reaching this part of the Capital." Even in the darkness she saw how his features scrunched, eyes narrowing with a look of such disgust that it left her frozen.

They were looking for her? She had killed raiders. Almost everyone in the wasteland had killed someone to survive. So why were these guys so interested in __her?__  Other than the fact she had killed half a dozen before even making it to Metagon. Then there was that jerk who tore up her shoulder…

Oh. Yeah, that would have done it.

Edith's chest felt tight, constricting, her breath leaving her in short, ragged rasps - and when she tried to move, her head spun so fast it was as if she was falling. She had to do __something,__  or who knew what they were going to do. There were only two of them; she could take them on. If there was one thing she had learned in her short time in the wasteland, it was how to shoot.

But when she raised her pistol, damp fingers slipping against the safety, she realised just how __stupid__  an idea that was. How was she to know there weren't more outside?

Floorboards creaked, quiet yet __deafening__ in the stillness. From the corner of her eyes Edith saw movement in the darkness, someone quietly slipping from their room. She saw a flash of mottled skin and broad shoulders - Gob.

He paused when he caught her crouching on the stairs, black eyes melting into the darkness surrounding him. Even from where she huddled the pursed lips, furrowed brows, utter confusion on his face was clear.

Edith held out a hand, eyes wide as she tried to mouth __stay there.__  She felt the panic rising, threatening to spill over, because what the hell was she supposed to do? Her time in the wasteland hadn't prepared her for anything like this, and now Gob was there and he was in danger too and those raiders wanted her.

Gob stepped forward, dark eyes squinting in the darkness, and the floorboards seemed to __shriek__ , so frighteningly loud that it must have woken up the entire saloon.

Down from the floor below, hushed whispers floated up; gruff voices warring back and forth. Bottles clinked - and then a figure slowly swam into view as a raider marched over to the stairs.

"Shit!" The word hissed from Edith's lips before she had the chance to stop it, her heart thundering in her ears as she leapt back - almost tripping up the stairs in her haste. Before she knew it her back hit Gob and he grabbed his hand without thinking. "You need to get back to your room."

"What? Why?" He wriggled from her grasp, hand tearing away from his. "Is this some kind of joke? Don't you think you've messed around with me enough, kid?"

"I'm not messing, I-"

"Hey, I think someone's up here."

They froze, Edith's entire body stuck in place, wide eyes fixed on the steps as the broad figure of the scarred raider ascended to meet them. Even with no light to illuminate him, his sheer size was enough for Edith's blood to run cold. This close, she saw how he towered over even Gob, shoulders so wide he seemed to fill her entire vision.

Grey eyes glinted in the dark as he turned to them, and Edith couldn't see but she felt the leering smile spread across his face. "I knew it. I guess we aren't good at keeping it quiet, but that doesn't matter. I can kill you just as easily."

Behind her Gob stiffened, arms rigid by his side as if he wanted to run but couldn't. This time, when Edith's small hand clutched his, he didn't pull away.

"A kid and a ghoul, eh? This'll be easy." He reached out one huge hand, and when he grabbed Edith by the arm it felt like it enveloped her entire forearm. He dragged her forward with so much force her hand was torn from Gob's and she smacked into the raider's chest. He loomed above her, grip so forceful but so effortless.

"Get off me!" Edith hissed, glaring up at him - but her voice wobbled and tears stung the corner of her eyes. "There's other people here, and if you wake them up they'll make you regret this."

"Then we'll just have to deal with them, too." The raider leaned in so close his breath warmed her face, the scent of whiskey and something else, something __much less__  pleasant, attacked her nose so thoroughly she had to fight not to gag. His eyes searched her face, the silvery grey glinting eerily, and realisation dawned across her face. "Hold on, aren't you the one we're looking for? Yeah, you're the one that keeps killing all our buddies."

Edith's heart stopped, and for one painful moment all she saw was that slimy, yellow toothed smile spread across his lips. One easy twist of her wrist and she cried out, red-hot pain shooting up her wrist. The gun clattered to the floor, disappearing into the dark hallway. Then in one impossibly fast motion he hooked an arm around her waist and __hauled__  her backward, twisting her around so she had the perfect view of Gob's terrified, wide eyed face as she was lifted from the ground and towed downstairs.

He was so impossibly strong he didn't seem to care about the way she writhed in his grasp, or the way she kicked her feet to slow him down. His thick arm crushed against her stomach, it felt as if her ribs were being snapped in two with no more effort than she might snap a twig.

The second raider appeared, a half-finished bottle of whiskey in one hand and a box of snack cakes in the other. He looked at Edith, still squirming in his grip, and a slow smile spread across his lips as he dropped the cakes. "Found our girl, eh? She sure looks like the right one."

"She is," the scarred raider confirmed, and his grip tightened around Edith's middle. "Let's take her back to the others. We can't have all the fun ourselves."

"Or we could just kill her here?" he suggested, and he reached for something strapped to his thigh. A knife. Long, with deep serrated grooves that Edith almost _ _felt__  against her skin just by looking at it. When the raider's smile widened, Edith felt her blood go cold.

"Let's scram before anyone else wakes up and starts trouble." Scar hoisted her up with one huge arm, grabbing her hair with his free hand so she had no choice but to look at him. "Now, don't go trying anything, or we'll kill everyone here. Starting with that ghoul of yours. You got that?"

Edith's vision blurred, hot tears dripping down her thin cheeks and soaking into her vault suit. Nodding silently, Edith squeezed her eyes closed. What was going to happen? They weren't just going to kill her - no, it was going to be so much worse.

Scar laughed - a deep, gruff sound like nails on chalk - and then the skinny raider joined, his own laugh high pitched, almost hysterical.

"Now, how about we take you back to our place?"


	8. Chapter 8

_Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic._

The words repeated over and over in Edith's head like a mantra, but the thundering of her pulse in her ears drowned them out to only a whisper. 

"If I go with you, you'll leave everyone else alone?" Her voice stuttered, fresh tears springing to her eyes and blurring her vision until the saloon was only a watery mess. As long as everyone was safe - as long as _Nova and Gob_ were safe, then the rest didn't matter. 

"Sure, kid. This shitty little town will be fine."

That word. Kid. In the short time she had been here, Edith had come to love hearing that word; but from his lips, it made her feel sick. Wincing, she tried to twist in his grasp - but those thick arms held her as easily as holding a child. When he grabbed a fistful of her vibrant red hair Edith grunted, his fingers digging so tightly into her scalp it was if he was trying to rip out her hair from the roots. "Ah, stop it!"

Scar didn't even seem to hear her as he dragged her forward, lifting her from the floor so her legs dangled helplessly, body trapped by his iron grip.

Skinny grabbed the door, flinging it open without a care for subtlety - although surely by now half the town had to be awake anyway. He gestured to the door with a flourish, then stepped aside to grab the bottle of whisky on the table.

Edith's palms were sweaty as she gripped Scar's arm; they slid off uselessly, short nails barely leaving a dent in his skin. It was hopeless, this entire thing was hopeless, and it was only going to get unimaginably worse. Hot tears leaked from her eyes, dripping onto the already soaked jumpsuit. When Skinny let out a low chuckle at her futile efforts, she didn't even try to fight back.

"Come on, we better leave before we get caught." Scar was already half way out the door, his bulk blocking the entire frame.

"What about the ghoul?"

"Did you see him? He won't be any trouble." He didn't even look up, casting Skinny's worries aside.

But Edith _did_ look up, craning her neck over Scar's shoulder to see the silhouette of Gob crouched on the stairs. He wasn't looking at her or the raiders - but at something she couldn't _quite see._

"Aw shit," Skinny muttered, and the whiskey landed on the table with a resounding _thud._ "Forgot my shotgun."

It clicked. Her gun was gone, skidding off into a dark corner of the saloon - but that idiot's shotgun lay somewhere nearby.

Skinny muttered something under his breath as he wandered over, taking all the time in the world despite Scar's impatient huffs. He wobbled unsteadily, and even through her haze Edith knew he had drank far too much. 

When she looked up, Gob was gone from his spot. Her heart sank, realisation settling in that he hadn't been looking at the shotgun, and no one was coming to her rescue. This was it; she had no choice but to go with them. 

 "Aw _shit!"_

Scar spun, his wide shoulder knocking against the door frame - and in turn, slamming Edith's injured arm into the door, too. She let out a grunt of pain but he either didn't hear - or more likely, didn't _care_ \- and he strode two steps forward. Then he froze. 

Skinny stood completely and utterly still, eyes so wide they looked as if they were about to pop from his skull. On the other side of the bar stood Gob - shotgun raised, barrel aimed directly at Skinny's head.

"How? Where the _fuck_ did this freak come from?" Scar's voice was gruff and dangerously low, almost a growl; but he didn't try to move, not even to adjust his slipping grip around Edith's torso.

Her eyes flickered up, and for one split second they locked on Gob's pale ones. He nodded, a barely noticeable little action - and then Edith launched into action. She writhed in Scar's grip, kicking her legs and twisting in his grasp. He had been too focused on Gob, too busy staring and he dropped her with a snarl. Edith collapsed into a heap with a yelp, the cold wooden floor jarring her shoulder.

Looking up, Edith barely had time to see Scar looming over her before she twisted from his reach, rolling across the floor before heaving herself into a crouch. This all felt too familiar, too soon, and all she saw was the knife twisted deep into the soft flesh of her shoulder, the vault suit ripped from her body...

She backed up until she hit a bar stool, the cold metal tangling with her legs. She tumbled, back hitting the bar, and suddenly she came _crashing_ back to reality. A gasp ripped itself from her throat as she fell once again, landing in a pile of crimson hair and blue cotton.

Then, from the corner of her eyes she saw something shiny and silver. _Her pistol._

Scar lurched forward, one enormous arm outstretched - but he stilled as Gob strode forward, shotgun almost touching Skinny's chest.

"You hurt her, I hurt him." 

"You wouldn't." His voice was deep, growly - but there was a nervous undertone that hadn't been there before.

"I might not, but are you going to risk it?" Gob replied, and his own voice shook so terribly, like he was barely holding on. His hands shook too, the shotgun unsteady in his hands - but no one was stupid enough to try and snatch it from him.

Edith sat up, casting a cautionary glance toward Scar and Skinny - but their attention was solely on Gob and the massive shotgun in his arms. Good. Quietly she stretched an arm forward until her fingers brushed cold metal -  then she snatched up the pistol and leaped to her feet in one sudden, fluid move.

When she aimed the pistol at Scar, his eyes narrowed. He slowly pivoted to face her, and his gnarled face was twisted into one of such _disgust_ that for a moment Edith's brain stuttered to a halt. "The two of you are quite the pair, but we don't quit easily."

"Neither do we," Edith replied, and even though her brain was a static mess and her heart was shuddering so violently in her chest, her voice was even. Calm. "We have two guns, and all you have is a measly knife. We win."

Gob shot her a glare, and Edith knew what he was trying to silently convey. _Don't encourage them._  He had a point.

Scar strode forward, and with his towering form and thick legs he closed the distance between them in barely three steps. His figure loomed closer and closer, reaching into his pocket for something - and then another knife glinted, shining silver and deadly.

The gunshot rang out in the night, echoing off the walls and making Edith's head _spin._ She stumbled back and Scar did the same, crimson leaking from his shoulder. Wide, deer-like eyes darted from him to Gob, then back again, as if that was going to somehow make sense of it all. Her breath shuddered as she stumbled back.

When she turned to stare at Gob again, his eyes were just as wide, just as _fearful._ But the shotgun had dropped to his side, forgotten.

Which means she had been the one to shoot.

"Dammit, you've woken up the whole town!" Skinny protested - and if he cared about his friend he didn't show it, concerned only for their escape plan. "Now how are we supposed to get out of here?"

Scar growled, clutching his shoulder - and he wobbled as he tried to move, his legs unsteady as blood continued to pour from his  wide shoulder. "Fuck. We gotta leave. _Now._ "

Edith knew she needed to do something  - _stop them_ \- but she was stuck in place, her body a stiff, unwilling statue. She didn't know why because she had killed people before, even on her very first day out of the vault, but this was different. There were people _after her_ and how far were they going to go? She thought of the knife, sinking deeper and deeper into her shoulder, of Gob staring at her, of the raider collapsing in a pool of blood caused by a shot Gob had fired...

By the time she looked up, her legs crumpling beneath her, the two raiders were already half way out the door. Then Gob was by her side, crouched low as a gentle hand brushed across her chin, tilting her head up. "Edith?" His voice was quiet, barely a whisper.

"I'm fine," she replied, though her voice wavered and her eyes were _still_ watering even as she swiped a thin hand across her face. "Just give me a minute."

"Of course." Gob's mottled face twisted as he looked her over, gaze sweeping across her face, down to her tear-soaked vault suit. For a moment his lips parted as if to speak - but he stood up, stepping back without another word. 

Edith never had her minute, as no sooner had Gob settled on the closest chair when there was a colossal thundering as someone came careening down the rickety stairs. 

Suddenly Edith's vision was filled with hair as vibrantly red as her own - and then a pair of wide, damp eyes as Nova leaned in close. "Oh honey, what happened? We heard a shot - you aren't hurt, are you? what about you, Gob?"

"We're fine," Gob answered quietly, and although Edith didn't look up she felt his gaze linger on her, on the pistol still clenched in her white-knuckled grip. "Two raiders broke in, but they cleared out. They uh... wanted Edith."  
"Huh? What do you mean?"  
Edith felt warm fingers on her chin as Nova tilted her face up, eyes narrowed and thin brows creased. She dropped her gaze as another drop of tears squeezed from her eyes. But they deserved answers - it wasn't as if she knew this was going to happen. Or wanted it to. So, taking a deep breath, she spoke, "the raiders that stormed Megaton the other day - the one that cut me up - he recognised me from a group of raiders I killed before I got here. I guess now they know who I am... they want me gone. Permanently."

Silence. Outside the wind blew, battering against the metal building. The roof creaked ominously - but inside there was just thick, stifling _silence._

Then, "what the hell is going on? I better not find any of you idiots causing my saloon trouble at this time in the morning."

Nova stilled, her lips opening in a silent gasp. Behind her, Gob bolted up in his chair, eyes snapping toward someone behind her.

Of course, Moriarty.

"It's my fault, Mister Moriarty," Edith replied quietly, and although her voice wobbled she managed to blink back the remaining tears that threatened to fall. "Don't take it out on them, please. I-"

"Is that blood? Gob, what the _fuck_ are you doing with that shotgun?"

Edith flinched, head jerking to Gob. Oh no. This was all her fault and now he was going to be punished, beaten, because of her fuck up. "It's mine," Edith supplied, lips forming the words before she had time to think, "I was just, uh, cleaning it?"

"And the blood?"

She didn't look at him as he strode toward them, coming to loom above her and Nova both. He wasn't even particularly tall - but those wide shoulders and that tense, thick furrowed brow was enough to make anyone shudder. He didn't say a word - didn't need to, because the silent threat was clear. _You had better explain. Or else._

Sucking in another lung full of breath, Edith steeled herself to explain again. 

And it wasn't easy, relaying the details to the stone cold statue of a man, his gaze unflinching and expression unchanging. But she did, relaying the events from the beginning - of the raiders she killed outside of Megaton, to the man that sank the knife deep into her shoulder, to the raiders just minutes ago.

She didn't move the entire time, knees curled up to her chest, Nova's slender arm wrapped around her shoulders. She lapsed into silence, the urge to sob rising from deep within her gut and she dropped her chin onto her knees, staring at the opposite wall.

For a long, painful moment no one spoke. Then, simply, "you're cleaning up the blood and paying for that drink they took. If my saloon is damaged again, I'll let those raiders have you."  
Edith watched him go, storming up the stairs without any regard for anyone else. Then it was just her, Nova and Gob.

How was she supposed to come back from this?


	9. Chapter 9

Edith's sat slumped in a little corner of the saloon, head resting on the hard wooden table. Her eyelids felt heavier than lead, slipping closed every few minutes despite the fact sleep refused to come.

At least everyone else had settled down - Nova had reluctantly disappeared back to bed after only a little convincing, eager to enjoy a rare night to herself. She hadn't heard Gob leave - but he must have, because the saloon was completely still.

Unfortunately, that was only driving her _more_ insane.

Frustration rose in her chest as her hands clenched, a huff escaping her lips. She couldn't keep doing this - risking the safety of Megaton, pining after a man who had made himself clear, hiding here instead of finding her dad just because she was scared. She wasn't a kid anymore, not a vault dweller, and certainly not some helpless maiden. So why was she acting like one?

The air stirred around her, followed by the soft _clink_ of something tapping against the table. Edith's head shot up as a squeak left her throat, heart jumping in her chest - only to be met with the wide, surprised eyes of Gob. Immediately she flushed. "Sorry, I never heard you come over. I thought you went to bed?"

"I did," was his answer as he pushed a chipped mug toward her as he slid into the opposite chair, "but I couldn't sleep, knowing you were down here alone."

"Oh." Edith glanced down - and her eyes landed on the steaming mug. She inhaled and the scent of sweet coffee filled her lungs. He had added just enough milk - brahmin or powdered? - and there was syrup or sugar or _something_ that just invited her right in.

"I don't know how you like your coffee, so I kind of guessed. Sorry if it's wrong."

She just shook her head and gathered the mug into her hands. It was hot, so hot it almost burned to touch but she clung on tighter. "No, it's perfect. Thank you."

Gob nodded and a tiny smile spread across his ruined lips, but he didn't say another word. Instead he dropped his gaze to the floor, face scrunching in a look of deep thought.

Silence descended on them. Usually Edith enjoyed the quiet but this was _stifling,_ thick and heavy and almost a physical force pressing down on her. With the way things were between them, was it any wonder?

Eventually Gob's eyes flickered up, milky white locking onto warm brown - but he barely held her gaze for a second. "I've been thinking," he said, and his voice was so quiet Edith strained to understand, "about what you said. And all that stuff today really put it into perspective."

Edith paused with the mug half way to her lips, steam billowing up around her. For a moment it blocked her view and Gob's expression was impossible to see. Was he still angry at her? Frustrated? Frightened because of what had happened - twice now - in the saloon? Swallowing thickly, Edith asked, "put what into perspective?

This was it. He was going to tell her to leave Megaton, to get out of the saloon and out of his life and this wasn't even her fault, not really! But she had been thinking the very same thing, so how could she blame him?

"It made me realise how much you mean to me."

"Huh?" Eloquent as always, the sound burst from Edith's lips without thinking. She lowered the mug, its contents and warmth forgotten, eyes snapping to Gob. "I don't understand."

He wouldn't look at her, pale blue eyes focused solely on the ground. His lips were pursed, brows heavy, and there was a pinkish hue to his mottled skin. "I-" he started, then shook his head, "I don't know. I was up there hiding like a _coward_ and I didn't know what those raiders were going to do to you. If you had _died_ I... we barely know each other and it's selfish, but if you had died it would have killed me too."

"Gob, that's... woah." It was a lot. Too much. A hundred questions buzzed in Edith's mind but not one lasted long enough to form a proper thought. Instead she fell silent, staring into the depths of her still untouched coffee like it might hold the answers to the world. Unsurprisingly, it didn't.

"I know. I'm sorry." Gob's voice shook. His shoulders bunched, arms folded firmly across his chest like he was trying to cave in on himself. Edith realised with a jolt that he was trying not to _cry._

"Gob, sweetie," Edith said softly, stretching out an arm to reach for his hand. "There's no need to apologise. I just, well, didn't expect this. You've been avoiding me and I know I messed up so this is so _unexpected._ "

He shrugged noncommittally - but when her fair hand curled around his larger, greener one, a smile curved at the corner of his mouth. "I'm not good at this; someone treating me like an equal, someone being interested in me. I freaked out, pushed you away. Please don't be mad." He curled up further - and that was the Gob she knew. The man who flinched, always expecting a physical blow; the man who spoke softly and nervously and expected the worst.

Edith didn't hesitate to shove back her chair and make her way around the table to envelop Gob in a warm, loving hug. She tried to put everything into that hug - all of her softness and appreciation and pride in him. "I could never be mad for that," she spoke softly, burying her face into his neck. He smelled of beer and whiskey and sweat but she didn't give a damn. "You're the best person I've met in this wasteland."

Although she was going to pull away then and give Gob his space he pulled her back. He was so strong but so gentle, as if afraid he might scare her off. Ha. So far she had been the only one scaring _him_ away. But he pressed his face into the collar of the coat, mimicking her own actions, and the little sigh that left his lips sounded so _wonderful_ she let him be.

"I have to ask," she spoke softly, because she wasn't going to ruin this moment, not at all, "does this mean you return my feelings?" Heat bloomed across her cheeks and she was grateful that her face was hidden.

When he nuzzled closer, Edith swore she felt dampness on her skin. A moment later she felt him move, wiping a hand across his face. Tears. "Yeah, I do. I've felt that way ever since you first stormed in here covered in raider blood."

A snort burst from her before she could stop it, a quick and ugly sound that only made her want to laugh more. "It's not my usual style," she admitted, "but if it got your attention then I suppose I should be grateful."

Gob pulled away, but it was so slow and so _reluctant_ that Edith wanted to tug him back in. He scrubbed his eyes again but they were still damp, made worse by the slight red-tinge of bloodshot that seemed to be a permanent issue. "I think I would have felt the same no matter how you introduced yourself," he said shyly, "what I'm trying to say is... if you still want to, I'd really like to give this - us - a go."

Warmth bloomed in Edith's chest and she made a little high pitched sound of delight. "Of _course_ I do, Gob. Why wouldn't I?" Her thumb gently stroked across his calloused hand and it felt so good to finally touch him and have him reciprocate.

For once Edith stood tall above him, half resting on the table and Gob didn't quite seem to know what to do as he stretched up, letting their foreheads bump. "You really were genuine this whole time, weren't you?" he murmured, voice wavering, "and I thought you were messing with me."

"Not at all." Edith adjusted her position to perch on the table - lightly, because who knew how flimsy those things were - and cupped Gob's face with her free hand. It felt so right, holding him so close she felt his breath tickle her cheeks. "And for the record, I thought you were cute when I first strode in, too."

Gob dropped his gaze, a bashful smile spreading across his lips as he pressed his cheek more firmly into her palm. It seemed like he had finally become comfortable with her touch and it warmed her heart. There was no denial, no disbelief - just a shy little smile and acceptance of her words. His eyes slipped closed and he looked so at peace in a way she had never seen before.

Edith could have sat like that forever; just her and Gob, quiet and comfortable, his warm skin flush with her own.

The mood was shattered as a yawn slipped from Edith's mouth and she automatically raised a hand to muffle the sound. "Sorry," she apologised with a laugh, "I guess I'm more exhausted than I thought."

"It's understandable, kid" Gob replied kindly, "you should get some sleep. It might make you feel better too."

"And Moriarty'll be a nightmare if you sleep in," she pointed out just as another yawn slipped through, "you should sleep as well." She regretted slipping her hand from his; her hand felt cold without his rough skin against hers. Frowning, Edith shook her head and made a mental note to hold his hand until he was sick of it. "Hey uh, I know you don't exactly get days off, but what if I convinced Moriarty to let you off early tomorrow?"

"Good luck with that," he snorted - but there was a sadness in his voice impossible to miss. He shrugged those wide shoulders, head downcast. "I'm so in debt to him I can't afford a day off even if he lets me."

Edith sighed, lips curling. That damned Moriarty - he was, without a doubt, the most disgusting human she had ever met. Worse than those raiders, even. She tensed, shoulders hard as she thought about it.

Gob noticed her distress as he hesitantly reached out a hand - still nervous to initiate contact, even after all their talks - and carefully pulled her in for a hug that was far too brief. When he pulled away he said softly, "don't worry about it. I've had fifteen years to get used to it."

Edith's eyes widened as a tiny noise left her. "You've been here for _fifteen years_? How old are you?" God, she was barely twenty-three - he had been stuck in this hellhole almost as long as she had been alive!

Gob shrugged. "I don't actually know. I was in the Ninth Circle for a long time and I was... twenty-one when I turned ghoul. I lost track about twenty years ago."

Well that made him at least forty-one and god, that made it so much worse. He had been a ghoul for so long - not as long as some, of course, but that wasn't the point. Had it really been so long since someone had shown him human decency? Her chest bubbled, the rising anger toward Moriarty spreading like flames.

"Okay. You're getting a damn day off if I have to work the bar myself. Leave it to me." With a firm nod, Edith's mind was set. He was going to get his first vacation in fifteen years if she had to murder Moriarty herself to make it happen.

"You would do that for me?" Gob looked up, scepticism flashing across his face before it melted into a soft smile. "Thank you."

Edith ghosted a kiss across Gob's cheek, so light and quick it was barely there. She was testing the waters, allowing him to pull away if he wanted. But he stayed put as her lips brushed across his cheek again, and she couldn't help the grin that spread across her sharp features in response. "Now, we should both sleep. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay." He was still smiling, the green skin around his lips pulled tight, but there was a daydreamy - almost wistful - expression as he watched her hop from the table and straighten her vault suit. "Goodnight, Edith."

"Night Gob. Sleep well, sweetie."

Her legs felt heavy and sluggish as she moved, but she felt like _dancing_ as she made her way across the saloon and up the stairs. Finally, finally things were looking up. He liked her! He wanted to _be with her_ \- or at least give it a shot. Honestly, what more could she have wanted?

As she climbed the stairs and slipped into her room, she knew there were only going to be good dreams for the rest of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking part in Nano this year but I'm rebelling by using it to finish fanfics sitting in my WIPs instead of like, doing an actual novel? So maybe I'll finish Petrichor this month! No promises, though :P

Gob woke before everyone else, as he always did, but this time the thick silence of the sleeping saloon and the sight of the still dark sky didn't evoke the usual deep seated resentment in his chest. He was positively _beaming_ as he made his way downstairs, steps light and heart blooming with warmth. 

No matter how terrible his day had the potential to be,  _nothing_ was going to keep him down.

He was still grinning as he made his way around the bar, humming a tune he didn't know the name for - maybe it was something Carol had sang to him when he was younger. The tune sounded strange coming from his deep, scratchy throat but he carried on as he reached across the bar to grab a rag.

Only for his hand to land on a scrap of paper. There was a note written in an elegant, looping font that was just too nice to belong to anyone in Megaton - or the whole damn wasteland for that matter. Curiously, Gob scanned the note - spotting his name among the overly decorative words.

_Gob,_

_I've gone out to see Moira. I know I promised you a day off, but you'll have to wait until I get back. You'll forgive me when you see the surprise I have for you, though._

_See you soon!_   
_Edith._

Gob's leathery fingers traced her name as he read the letter again. He imagined her sneaking down early in the morning, scribbling the note in the dark of the saloon and tucking it away somewhere she knew only he would see.

He read the letter one more time, imagining Edith's soft, gentle voice, and realised he had never looked forward to seeing anyone so much in his _ _life.__

* * *

"Are you sure this is everything?" Edith questioned. She peeled back the thick cloth covering the basket in her hands, dark eyes scrutinising the content.

"Everything's there, I promise," Moira assured - and the grin on her face was so fierce it was almost splitting her face in two. "Do you know how difficult it was to get all of this together? You didn't even give me a day's notice!"

"In my defence," Edith replied, "I didn't know if this was all going to work. There was no point asking you to get me all this stuff if Gob was going to turn me down." She felt the blush creeping across her cheeks and ducked her head down. To avoid looking at Moira she took another glance at the basket. 

When she did look up, Moira was smiling fondly. "Well, I hope you two have fun. I'm not going to pretend I understand your infatuation with that man, but he deserves to be happy."

"Thanks Moira." Edith smiled back, but her cheeks were so scarlet she must have looked _ridiculous._  She ran a hand through thick waves of red hair, letting it spill across her shoulders. "I mean it, you know? Thanks so much."

"Consider it a thank you for putting up with all that research I put you through. Now go, before Gob gets tired of waiting!"

Edith didn't need told twice. With a wave and another soft thank you to Moira, Edith hurried from the shop and into the cool Megaton morning. The breeze was pleasant, the sky a beautiful mix of pink and yellow as the sun peeked out over the horizon. Even so early, Edith knew it was going to be a warm, pleasant day. Perfect for what she had planned.

She hurried across the town, boots clacking on the hard packed ground as she scurried back to the saloon. She all but bolted up the stairs to the place, flinging open the door and rushing in - bringing a gust of the cool air with her.

"I'm back!" she called, eyes bright as she pressed the door closed. Her breath came in quick gasps, lungs burning from her sprint, and she had to lean against the door for support. Still, she beamed brightly as her eyes flickered to the bar - and sure enough there stood Gob, eyes wide in surprise.

"Hi," was all he managed to stutter out, and even from such a distance she saw the blush bloom across his discoloured cheeks.

"Hi yourself." Edith pushed herself away from the door and all but _skipped_ over to him, her chest bubbling with excitement. She hefted the basked onto the bar top, carefully peeling away the top cloth.

Inside was an entire picnic of food; fresh fruit, snack cakes, Nuka Cola and homemade mirelurk cakes - though admittedly not made by her. She had to admit that it was quite the spread, maybe even good enough to rival pre-war picnics, not that she had ever experienced one. 

Gob quirked a brow, a small and hesitant smile stretching across his lips as he looked at Edith. "Is this for us?"

"Or course, silly. I managed to get you that promised day off, and I know you hardly ever get time to yourself. So I propose a picnic!" She grinned, heart swelling at the way he smiled so shyly in response. "So, how about it?"

He looked almost disbelieving - but he nodded with so much enthusiasm, eyes sparkling. "I'd love to."

Edith let out a little breath. It was difficult to believe this was really happening - that Gob was no longer mad at her, that he actually wanted to be _with her,_ however shy and nervous that made them both. 

He also hadn't asked about _how_ she got him his day off, which was for the best.

 Scooping up the picnic basket in one hand, Edith lifted it with a grunt, arms straining. 

Gob made his way around the bar to gently take it from her and their hands brushed. He lifted the basket with such ease, like it didn't weigh a thing, and Edith was reminded that for all his ghoulish nature he filled out that white shirt really well. 

"Thanks," she muttered quietly, a smile forming on her lips. 

Above them the ancient floorboards creaked, the soft sound of voices drifting down the stairs. The first residents of the saloon were awake; no doubt including Nova - who was no doubt glad for a day without Edith and Gob, although not so glad to be alone with Moriarty. Edith would have to do something nice to make up for it.

"Let's go before this place fills up," Edith suggested - and she held out her arm for Gob to link his through. He did, shyly tucking his free arm into her side, skin rough and so warm it was almost _hot _.__  Edith had to admit she liked it. 

The two of them left together, arms linked, and Edith felt on top of the _ _world.__  She practically clung to him, buried into his side, and she didn't even care that people turned their heads to stare.

"So where are we going, anyway?" Gob questioned as they weaved their way past a gaggle of Children of Atom. He studiously ignored their chanting and stares, and Edith didn't have to ask to know it made him uncomfortable.

Honestly, she had to admire the way he held himself together.

She cast one man a glare as he turned as if to approach them, and he simply muttered and walked away. Truthfully Edith knew she wasn't intimidating in the slightest; with her short stature and slender vaultie build she wasn't exactly frightening - but she knew they treated Gob like some kind of Messiah and honestly, it was creepy.

Satisfied they were to be left alone, Edith replied with a grin, "there's a cute spot just outside of Megaton. I know there's not much around here, but I promise you'll love it."

"As long as I'm there with you, I will," Gob quipped - and then promptly wrenched his arm from Edith's to cower behind his hand, eyes averted. "Sorry, that was so _cheesy._ "

wA laugh slipped from her lips and she shook her head, hair bouncing. "Don't be ridiculous!" Gently reaching up to pry Gob's hand away from his face, she had to smile at the way he pouted. He was so damn cute, but she wished he wasn't so painfully nervous all the time. "Besides, I happen to like cheesy."

He let his hand be guided down, but his milky eyes still stayed focused on the desert ground.

Edith simply reached up to place a gentle kiss to the rough skin of his cheeks, carefully avoiding the torn skin exposing red muscle beneath. She still wondered if it hurt. Then she trailed a kiss down to his jaw, lingering there for just a second.

Behind them, someone cheered. "Good on you, dude! See, even ghouls can get cute ladies."

The two broke apart and Edith felt like she was _burning_ __-__  but when she peeked up at Gob she felt the tug of a smile on her lips. "This is going to take some getting used to."

"Yeah... I wouldn't want to be seen in public with me, either."

Edith's chest stuttered, mouth hanging open as she reached out for him. No, no, that wasn't what she meant. Why would he think such a thing about her - about _himself._  She shook her head vigorously, hair flying, and wrapped her slender arms around him without a care for who was looking. "I didn't mean it like that," she spoke, voice muffled as she pressed her face into his neck, "I want to be with you and I want to be seen with you. I'm not embarrassed."

He wound his arms around her waist, but it was so slow and his touch was so light, barely brushing across her. Eventually he pressed a tiny kiss to the top of her head.

Somewhere, the same man's voice called out, "all right lovebirds, take it somewhere else!" but there was warmth in his voice, laughter not at them but in delight at their presence.

Edith smiled into Gob's neck, a small snorting giggle escaping her lips. "I don't know who that guy is, but I like him."

Gob made a quiet noise of approval, but his voice was sombre as he replied, "not everyone will be so supportive."

"So they can go _fuck themselves._ "

She felt Gob jump in her arms, startled by her words, but he let out a shy, nervous chuckle as he broke their embrace. When he looked down at her it was with eyes filled with warmth, a soft smile playing on his tattered lips.

"Now come on, or we'll never have this picnic. I'm starved." Edith looped her arm through his again - and thankfully, this time, there was no joyous call from the mystery man. Then the two of them set off, enjoying the morning sun as it hit their faces.

She led him out of Megaton's confines, wandering along the shaded path the towering, rugged metal walls provided. The weak sun hit them just enough to be pleasantly warm, the breeze providing respite from the humidity. Soon though, it was going to get hot. Looking at the sky and seeing not a cloud in sight, Edith grinned.

Beside her Gob matched her pace, slowing down to allow for her shorter legs. His stained shoes kicked up dry dirt and sand, although her own were quickly becoming dirty too. "So this spot you found-"

"Ah, I'm not giving it away! It's just around this corner, honest." Edith sent him a cheerful grin, waving a hand to say no more questions! 

The scrapheap of Megaton's walls stretched above them, curving this way and that to allow for the mismatched shacks inside. It seemed to go on forever; just one endless stretch of rusted, distorted metal. 

Until they turned the corner - and as Edith promised, her spot came into sight. At first it didn't look like much - a comfy, shaded spot dotted with nature's sparse attempts at growing flowers where no flowers should have survived. But then Edith's little set up came into view; a soft blanket was spread out across the ground, nestled among the little patch of greenery and an armful of mismatched cushions lay scattered across it. Right in the middle sat a bottle of wine - one she had been holding onto for something special - and two glasses.

Gob froze, literally coming to a halt mid-step. Although he opened his mouth to speak, there was only silence.

"Not bad, huh?" Edith laughed, a little bit of pride seeping into her voice, "it took me forever to- Gob?"

They still stood with their arms loosely linked, and it was easy for Edith to notice the way he stiffened, whole body held straight - and then he swiped at his eyes, head turned away as if to hide from her. A moment later, a sniffle caught her ears.

"Gob? Hey come on, what's wrong?" In an instant her hand drifted across his face, cupping his cheek as she gently turned his head to face her. Already she was beginning to shake, water filling her own eyes. "Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head, eyes still downcast and he refused to look at her. "No, I-I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. It's just been a really long time since I've - since anyone's done something like this for me..." he trailed off, shrugging. Whatever was going through his mind, words weren't sufficient.

So Edith simply placed a gentle kiss to his temple and slipped her hand into his. "Well then I'll have to make a point of being extra nice to you, won't I?" she replied softly. 

He just smiled and ducked his head, but the smile that crossed his face was so shy and so appreciative it made Edith's heart melt.

She led him to the little blanket area, gently taking the basket from Gob so they could unpack the food. The two of them settled down side by side, and Edith was struck by just how _strange_ it all felt. This time last year she couldn't have imagined sitting in the sun with someone - this time last year she had never even seen the sun. As she settled down on the blanket and reached for a cushion, it also occurred to her that if her father hadn't left the vault, she would have still been stuck inside there.

A warm hand touched her arm and she felt the heat even through her vault suit. Gob didn't say a thing but he was grinning so broadly and it was _amazing_ how much just leaving the saloon behind had changed his entire demeanour.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming," she apologised - but when she looked at him, smiling and practically bouncing where he sat, all thoughts of the vault abandoned her. "Why don't you start plating up the food, and I'll open this wine." She gestured to the bottle - an old, pre-war brand that was probably expensive in its day, but the label had long since faded to nothing.

"Where did you find something like that anyway?" he questioned, reaching into the basket to lift out two slightly cracked plates.

"It was a thank you gift from someone I helped out. I was fresh out of the vault, had never had a sip of alcohol in my life. I figured it was better to keep it for something important; and here you are!"

He let out a nervous chuckle, hands hovering above the bowl of fruit Edith had brought. "I'm not that great," he said softly, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Of course you are." Edith's reply was instant, head snapping up to cast him a wide eyed look. It hurt, knowing he thought so little of himself. "Just because people like to treat you badly doesn't mean you deserve it, honey."

His response was to shrug those broad shoulders, slouching down as if to try and make himself smaller - though with his height and wide build, it didn't do much. "Yeah. Ah shit, sorry, I'm being all depressing and you only wanted-"

"Hey," Edith interrupted - and it was rude, but if she didn't he was only going to spiral and she knew how terribly that tore him apart. "It's all right, really. I'm just glad we're spending the day together."

"Me too."

They lapsed into silence, but it wasn't thick with tension - in fact, it was kind of peaceful. Megaton was so chaotic and everyone was always causing a fuss - Moriarty with his shouting and Moira with her chattiness. The quiet seemed to lift a weight from her shoulders she hadn't even realised she'd been carrying.

Soon enough the bottle was popped open and they each had a glass of vibrant red wine, as well as a plate full of food enough to feed half of Megaton. Her plan was all coming together, and she couldn't have been happier for it.

The best part of it all was Gob - she had never seen him so talkative, so __relaxed,__ sitting beside her and chatting away about nothing in particular. His voice, so rough but kind, was like music to her ears and she could have listened to him talk forever.

Edith lay across the blanket, a slightly frayed cushion under her head as she stared at the sky. The half finished glass of wine sat beside her, but already the buzz of alcohol had settled into her forehead. "This is so weird," she stated, though her voice was dreamy as she watched a single puffy white cloud meander above. "I didn't think stuff like this was possible. Everything is all about fighting and survival now."

"Tell me about it," Gob replied, "I wish there were more moments like this. Not just for me but in general, you know?"

"Yeah." Edith sighed dreamily, lazily turning on her side to beckon Gob closer. He sat cross legged on the blanket and he was just too far away, even though he was within touching distance. Stretching out an arm, she patted the space beside her. "Come lie down with me."

He flushed, skin turning an odd shade of purple that honestly, Edith loved. His eyes lingered on her outstretched hand as he said, "are you sure? You really don't want to see me so up close..." The sparse remains of his eyebrows furrowed.

Making him uncomfortable was never her goal and she didn't want to push it, but the thought of curling up beside him, the sun shining down on them and the breeze ruffling her hair - it was heaven. Her expression softened as she locked eyes with him. "I happen to think you're very handsome, and closeness is kind of the goal here." She patted that same spot again, gently urging him forward but allowing him to say no if he wanted to.

Instead of declining her invitation a second time, however, Gob edged closer and gently lowered himself down to they were lying face to face on the blanket. He smiled, just a shy little quirk of his lips, but it brightened his entire face and he looked so gorgeous that for a moment Edith couldn't even speak.

Somewhere in the distance a bird called, answered only by the gentle breeze whistling through the gaps in Megaton's bordering wall. 

Edith placed a gentle hand to Gob's face, trailing her thumb along his jaw. "You know, I'm glad I left the vault. I'd have never met you if I hadn't."

Gob leaned into her touch, his shyness melting away as he placed a kiss to the inside of her wrist. He had come such a long way from the timid, nervous man she met at Moriarty's - and in such a short timespan, too. Even the way he smiled was different - more genuine, less reserved.

Scooting forward Edith leaned in close, her hand trailing from Gob's jaw to his wide shoulders, then ghosting across his chest. It rested there, slender fingers brushing against the fabric of his shirt. 

"Edith, what-"

Her lips met his, soft and careful because God, the last thing she wanted was to scare him off but she just couldn't wait any longer. He tasted of the sweetness of mutfruit and a little bitter from the wine, the flavour clinging to his chapped lips. She sighed into the kiss and pressed closer to him, their bodies flush.

Gob moved against her and he tentatively reached a hand up to curl his fingers in her hair as he kissed back. His lips were shy, like he wasn't quite sure of what to do.

It didn't matter; it felt _amazing._

Edith pulled away and her cheeks were flushed, warmth spreading all the way down to her chest. A grin spread across her lips as a rush of breath left them, half way between a gasp and a giggle. 

His hand, still nestled in her tangle of waves, dipped down to rest against the back of her neck. His eyes were sparkling, the last shadow of disbelief draining from them as he gazed at her with an expression she couldn't quite figure out. Admiration? Gratefulness? Love?

The word slipped into her mind without consent and she tried to bury it away - it was far too early to be thinking about that. But once it was there it wormed its way into her mind and refused to leave.

Gob's lips formed a frown as he watched her, the brightness in his off-blue eyes dimming. "Is something wrong? Did I mess up?"

"No, not at all," she replied, her voice breathy. Her fingers rubbed gentle circles over his chest and she quietly enjoyed the feel of his heartbeat against her hand. Like her own, it was beating rapidly. "I'm not very experienced at this sort of thing, but I've really enjoyed today."

"Me too. I uh, can't remember the last time I dated; I was never really interested in it before, and then when I turned ghoul I lost my chance. At least, I thought I did." A dreamy look crossed his face then, a light sigh leaving him.

Edith's reply was to press a kiss to his cheek, marvelling at the texture of his skin; rough and thick, but more pliable than a human's. She was never going to get tired of how different they were - but how perfectly they seemed to fit together.

"Hey, we still have a whole afternoon left; how about we-"

"Shh!"

Edith clamped her lips shut, eyebrows shooting up and her shoulders tensed. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?" Edith strained her ears, eyes searching the expanse of desert surrounding them but she couldn't figure out what she was supposed to be hearing.

Until she did. A low growl, words from a deep, grizzled throat - and heavy, thudding footsteps around the corner leading back to Megaton's entrance.

She turned, wide eyed, to stare at Gob. She knew those footsteps, far too heavy to be anything human, and it sent chills down her spine.

"Super mutants?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I was meant to be finishing this as a part of Nano - but I wrote too much at the beginning of the month, burned myself out, and haven't written in 3 days. Don't know if I'll be able to catch up, but in the meantime enjoy a new chapter!

 Gob clung tightly to Edith and his short nails dug into the delicate skin of her forearm. She felt the sting of little half moons etched into her skin but at that moment it was hardly important. Her heart was in her throat, breath hitching with every intake of breath.

"What do we do?"

"Maybe we'll be fine," Edith whispered - but the words felt hollow, stomach squirming as the gruff shouts of the super mutants got closer and closer. Her chest shuddered with each new word, breath catching in her throat and she wanted to _throw up._

A rough, coarse bark sounded across the desert - but it hadn't come from a normal dog. Only mutated vocal chords produced a sound as horrible, as terrifying.

Edith's hand jumped to her pistol, the weapon strapped to her hip as it always was. Her hands were already sweating as she gripped it, the other hand entwining with Gob's. "I don't want to fight them - but if it comes to it, you get behind me and let me shoot, okay?"

"W-what?" gob spluttered, pale eyes turning wide, "we don't even know how many there are!" His whisper was more of a hiss through clenched teeth and his eyes were so wide, so _frightful_ that it made Edith's chest hurt. 

She wanted to reassure him, give him the soft words he so obviously needed to hear - but all that came out was a tiny sigh as she leaned in to bump her forehead against his. They needed a plan - and fast. But what? They were in the middle of the desert with only one magazine of ammo, and if they led the super mutants right to Megaton's doors...

Edith struggled out a huff and a tiny, nervous smile danced across her lips. "I've got an idea. If I can just hold them off for a little bit, you can sneak past and get back up - Simms, Moira, fuck it even Moriarty if you can."

"You're absolutely crazy."

Edith never had the chance to reply. Those rugged voices were practically shouting in their ears and as Edith turned around, eyes skittering across the sand, she spotted a dark mass of green rounding the corner.

The strangled gasp left her lips before she stopped it, but it didn't even matter because they were _right there_ , surrounded by blankets and cushions and they were as impossible to miss as the super mutants. She sucked in a breath, grip tightening around Gob's hands.

And then the first mutant became two, then three, and then two hounds joined them as they stormed around the corner. Their footsteps kicked up the sand but it didn't obscure their enormous, towering bodies.

Edith was already on her feet by the time they spotted her. She dropped Gob's hand to grab for her pistol, the metal sun-warmed and familiar as she clutched it in both hands.

"Who's there?" one mutant demanded, and his voice was so thick and deep it was difficult to understand. "A human?"

"And ghoul," another supplied helpfully. He grinned - and even from such a distance Edith had the perfect view of yellow, rotted teeth and greenish black gums.

Bile rose in the back of her throat and threatened to spill over - but she swallowed it back, wincing at the bitter taste it left in her mouth. In a shaky voice she called, "I don't want violence! Leave us alone and we'll leave you." A stupid, pointless move. Everyone knew super mutants enjoyed violence, enjoyed the sight of blood and gore and bullets.

A moment later, her point was proven. One of the hounds - a gigantic and lumpy thing that only barely resembled a dog - let out a howl more like a roar. The mutant beside it - the biggest, beefiest and covered in spikes - reached across his back to reveal an enormous shotgun cobbled together from several different kinds. "Gonna kill you," he replied, a nasty grin spreading across his face.

" _Fuck,_ " Edith hissed under her breath - and then everything dissolved around her.

A blast rang out through the empty wasteland and it seemed to from Megaton's ancient walls. Dirt and sand kicked up around Edith and she tumbled backwards. Her shoulder knocked with Gob's and they both went down, landing in in the sand as a pile of tangled limbs and blankets. 

"Okay," Edith muttered, and her heart was roaring in her chest but somehow her voice came out strong, even. "Plan B: shoot."

Gob's voice _pleaded_ something in her ears but it all drowned out, fading into background noise until there was only her, the warm pistol in her hands and the super mutant as he burst into deep, raucous laughter.

There was a blur from the corner of her eyes and her chest skipped, brain struggling to figure out what was moving as it came racing towards her. Then she saw the flash of yellow teeth set into a deep, dog-like face and the colour drained from her face.

One shot - _missed._ It sailed harmlessly past the mutant hound as the creature kept charging, far too fast for something so bulky and clumsy. 

To her left, a super mutant let out a howling battle cry and something sharp glinted in the sun. Seconds later he too was charging for her with a twisted knife in each hand and a manic gleam in his eyes.

Edith stumbled back, scrabbling for Gob and he stood so still, eyes darting between the hound and the knife weilding super mutant. 

She clapped a hand to his shoulder and shoved him away, watching as the haze cleared from those milky white eyes, "Get out of here!" she snapped, dimly aware of how her voice pitched, panicky, as if she was about to cry. It wasn't until dampness hit her face that she realised she _was_ crying.

Gob nodded mutely, and although there was a fear in his eyes Edith was barely able to comprehend, he spun on his heel and dashed off, kicking up dirt - leaving her quite literally in the dust.

The super mutants were so entirely focused on her - because she was a threat, something enticing and probably fun for them - and they didn't cast Gob a second look as he darted off. Which meant she only had to hold her own until backup arrived.

Something tore at the thick fabric of her vault suit, a force so strong it brought her down - and when she thudded to the ground the air was knocked from her lungs in a strangled gasp that _burned_ as sand kicked up into her face. Her eyes felt like they were on fire, hot and painful, When she blinked there was a flash of green in the haze, though everything else was a blur. 

She kicked blindly and her boot slammed into a wall of rock hard muscle. The hound let out a yelp that was far too dog-like and ducked its head - but suddenly a shadow fell upon her, blocking out the hot burning sun and the hound was the least of her troubles.

A knife flashed, rusted silver and serrated - and it was followed by a laugh so deep and gruff it made her shudder. 

Edith rolled, tucking her hands to her chest - and the mutant embedded the blade into the dirt just inches from her face. A ragged gasp left her lips and for a moment, all she saw was sharp edges and metal sparkling in the sun and she was there again - back in Moriarty's with a knife plunged into her arm, pressed againt the hard body of a raider as he laughed in her ear...

Distantly, the laughter of the other mutants reached her ears; rough and scratchy and _unhinged,_ their voices more like growls.

The knife flashed in her vision again as the mutant lunged for her, huge body towering above her even as he dropped to his knees. His face was so close to hers she saw every crease across his forehead, smelled the rotten breath puffing from between his lips.

"Hey!"

A frown crossed the mutant's distorted features and then he was gone from view, head turning as if in question-

And then there was an explosion of sound so close it could have been right beside her, echoing in her ears. The super mutant reeled back as a burst of blood bloomed from his chest - and he collapsed into the dirt with a strangled cry.

Edith sat up, rubbing her eyes but they still burned. She saw someone approaching though, their body a blur of colour but they were too small to be a super mutant. Suddenly Gob was by her side and he was grinning, the relief in his eyes clear even though her own were still gritty with sand. "Hey there," she managed weakly, raising one hand in a wave.

"I brought that backup," he replied - and when he carefully brushed a hand across her cheek she felt _electric,_ sparks jumping from his skin to hers.

"Thanks. I was-"

A howl echoed across the dust - and then another, followed by a not quite human scream - and from the corner of her eyes Edith saw a solid brick of green drop to the ground. 

Edith felt gentle hands tug her to her feet - and she was small, but he lifted her with such ease it was as if she weighed literally nothing. A beaming smile flickered across her features as she curled a pale hand into Gob's - and then he pulled her away from the fight, away from the pained yells of super mutants and the clamour of gunshots.  
They broke into a sprint, Edith's much shorter legs burning as she tried to keep up. "I could have stayed to fight, you know!" she called, voice breathless, "I was doing pretty well!"  
"Simms has it handled," Gob reassured as he fell into step beside her - and although Edith's legs were still hurrying alongside him, Gob's stride was barely a jog. "And Jericho's there. Not my first chance for help, but..." he trailed off with a shrug.

She simply nodded in response. The urge to glance backward nagged at the back of her mind - just to see what was going on, she reasoned. To make sure they were all right.

She tilted her head to peek over her shoulder, but a soft nudge from Gob and she let her gaze wander back to him. "Yeah?"

He broke into a smile - and _finally_ his pace slowed, long legs matching hers as they curbed to a walk. "Why does trouble always seem to follow you, kid?"

She grinned at the nickname - one that sounded condescending from anyone else, but from Gob, she kind of loved it. Okay, more than kind of. "Dunno. I guess I'm just lucky like that?" she quirked a brow, fighting back a laugh that bubbled in the back of her throat. Then her smile dimmed, dark eyes flickering to the ground. She watched her boots leave imprints in the sand, a trail back to Megaton. "Sorry our date is ruined. I had it all planned out and everything." And knowing Moriarty, a super mutant attack was no excuse not to get back to work now they were back. Fuck.

Gob brushed a hand across her forehead, strands of bright red hair tangling around green fingers. "It's not your fault. Besides, what's a first date without a little excitement?"  
A snort burst from her and she quickly hid it behind her free hand. "I guess it is expected from the wasteland. Next time though, lets not nearly get murdered."

"Agreed."

They slipped into silence, Edith allowing herself to sink into Gob's side as they walked hand in hand. The chaos of the fight had been left far behind and once again it was only them. The two of them, hand in hand and surrounded by desert.

Honestly, Edith wished this moment could last forever.


	12. Author's Note

Okay, a quick heads up for the few of you that enjoy this fic - I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I've had so many versions, chopped and changed plot so many times and honestly, I'm just not feeling it any more. I posted the first version, took it down, then rewrote it into this version and I still see so many problems - it wasn't designed to be this long, and I feel like it's all turning into filler with no real plot because of that.

So I'm probably not going to update, and since I hate having unfinished fics sitting I might delete/archive it. Or move it to a side account just for abandoned works. Since I love Gob a lot, I might come back to it, or create something more like the original vision I had when I began this. More than likely I'll write something entirely unrelated and start from scratch.

Sorry about this folks - I know it's a bit of a downer. But there's really no point in me continuing to write something if I don't want to, because it isn't going to be anything very good. Hopefully if I attempt this in the future, it will be something much better!


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